VOICES OF STATELESS: LEAL’S STORY – LEBANON

Leal was born in Lebanon but is stateless. Her grandfather was Lebanese but did not register the birth of Leal’s father. As Leal’s father was not registered, he in turn could not register the birth of Leal and her six siblings.

Today, she is married to a Lebanese man but since she doesn’t have any nationality documents, the marriage could not be registered. Without a marriage certificate she could not register the birth of her children. They too are stateless.

“To be stateless is like you don’t exist, you simply don’t exist. You live in a parallel world with no proof of your identity” – Leal