A life restored: Hussain’s journey out of statelessness in Lebanon
A life restored: Hussain’s journey out of statelessness in Lebanon
Zasha Millan
November 2025
Hussain, 35 years old living in Beirut, has spent most of his life undocumented and without a recognized nationality. Born to a Lebanese mother and an unregistered father, he inherited an administrative gap that has shaped every part of his life. His main form of identification was a Mukhtar[1]-issued document, which was not always recognized by authorities. As a result, he was regularly stopped at checkpoints for verification. Accessing services was also challenging; hospital stays were not covered by social assistance, leaving his family to cover the costs.
This situation quietly dictated the rhythm of his daily life. Job opportunities ended the moment employers realized he lacked official identification, no matter how qualified he was. He and his wife postponed registering their marriage, uncertain how the process would unfold without a nationality. Starting a family felt too risky. Hussain refused to let a child inherit the same legal limbo he carried.
Hussein is one of millions of people around the world who are unable to access and enjoy the human right to a nationality, leaving them stateless. Without a nationality, people are often unable to access basic rights and administrative, judicial and social services, such as education, formal employment, health care, or, for example, register a marriage or the birth of a child. As a result, they are at heightened risk of exploitation and abuse, as they live a life in the shadows and margins of the society. Statelessness, the lack of nationality of any country, affects not only individuals but entire communities, limiting access to economic and social systems and deepening inequalities across generations. UNHCR’s statistical reporting counted 4.4 million stateless people at the end of June 2025.
Hussein’s father had once tried to resolve the situation, but the case had been lost at the highest judicial level. It seemed like the door to recognition had closed for good until Hussain came across an online post from UNHCR’s partner Frontiers Rights, inviting undocumented individuals to seek legal support.
The legal assistance he received was part of a project implemented by Frontiers Rights and UNHCR with the support of the European Union[2], aimed at strengthening civil registration and legal aid for stateless individuals. A lawyer assigned by the organization reviewed his file and proceeded with the case.
The journey was not straightforward. The first ruling went against him, echoing the disappointment his father had once lived. But Frontiers appealed and won. When the state chose not to challenge the ruling, Hussain’s nationality became final.
He still remembers the moment he received the long-awaited news. He was on his way to pick up his wife from the architecture institute where she studies when the lawyer called and told him the case was resolved. Hussain was so overwhelmed that he stopped walking. His wife, seeing him in a state of shock, kept asking whether she should be happy or cry. “I stood in the street for nearly fifteen minutes, unable to fully process what had happened”, Hussain recalls.
Later that day, he called his mother, who immediately began to cry, and his sibling, who found it hard to believe it was finally real. That evening, the family gathered for a small celebration.
Before the case concluded, legal aid had already allowed him to obtain a laissez-passer, enabling him to secure a driver’s license and move more freely without the fear of arrest. But the confirmation of his nationality unlocked the changes he had waited the longest for. He could finally begin the process of officially registering his marriage. The possibility of having children with his wife, previously paused for fear of passing down being stateless to his children, now became a source of hope rather than worry. At work, he could look toward formalization, promotion and stability that had always been out of reach.
The impact extended beyond documents. Through support groups connected to Frontiers, Hussain met others living similar experiences and began speaking more openly about the issue. He realized how deeply misconceptions about statelessness run, and how easily people assume it is the result of wrongdoing rather than administrative gaps and outdated laws. Helping others understand these realities became part of his own healing.
Today, Hussain is waiting for the moment he will hold his first Lebanese ID card, a document that will formally close a chapter marked by uncertainty. With his marriage registration underway and the possibility of becoming a father now within reach, his life is no longer suspended between hope and fear.
Supporting access to legal identity for stateless persons in Lebanon
Hussain’s journey shows what becomes possible when people at risk of statelessness can access the legal support they need. His case was assisted by UNHCR and Frontiers Rights under a project implemented with the support of the European Commission's Directorate General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA), as part of a EUR 10 million contribution supporting six countries from 2025 to 2027. Lebanon is one of the countries, in which over 250 people have been supported through legal assistance in 2025.
In Lebanon, where statelessness is linked to historical exclusion, gaps in the nationality law, and a complex civil registration system, the project strengthens access to civil registration services, expands legal aid for stateless individuals, and supports national efforts to improve documentation procedures. This includes initial counselling, case management, assistance in obtaining required documents, and preparing legal briefs for submission to civil and religious courts.
Through this partnership, and the broader strategy aimed at advancing reforms and supporting durable solutions for individual cases, Hussain was finally able to move from years of uncertainty to full legal recognition.
About Frontiers Rights
Frontiers Rights is one of the first NGOs in Lebanon providing free legal aid to refugees, migrants and stateless persons in 2003. Currently, it is one of the few organizations that focuses entirely on statelessness, and how to remove obstacles for stateless populations. Since 2006, Frontiers Rights has been working on projects that aim to reduce and prevent statelessness in Lebanon, in particular undertaking of field research and publication, advocacy, and provision of legal aid.
Nro. 1: Hussain and his wife stand together at home in Beirut, reflecting on a long journey marked by years of uncertainty due to his lack of legal documentation.
Nro. 1: Hussain and his wife stand together at home in Beirut, reflecting on a long journey marked by years of uncertainty due to his lack of legal documentation.
Nro. 2: Hussain reviews documents with his wife at their home. Access to legal aid made it possible to address long-standing documentation challenges, including the registration of their marriage.
Nro.3: At home, Hussain stands by a window. For years, the lack of official documentation affected his daily life; the confirmation of his nationality case marked a turning point.
Nro.3: At home, Hussain stands by a window. For years, the lack of official documentation affected his daily life; the confirmation of his nationality case marked a turning point.
Nro 4: Holding the documents related to his case, Hussain reflects on the legal process that led to the recognition of his nationality, supported through legal aid.