A person was born in Portugal 25 years ago and never left the country, but holds neither Portuguese nationality nor that of her parents' country of origin. The parents came to Portugal in 2000, but were unable to transmit their nationality to the child. The person is not recognized by any State.
The situation of statelessness means this person has no protection from any State, which limits access to basic rights such as work, health, and education. Without documents, it is impossible to obtain formal employment, open a bank account, or get married civilly.
The person has now applied for stateless status, which is a legal pathway to obtain Portuguese nationality. This process allows people without a State who can prove residence in Portugal for a certain period of time to apply for Portuguese nationality.
The article does not reveal the person's identity or the parents' country of origin. The phenomenon of statelessness affects thousands of people in Portugal, including children born in the country whose parents are of unknown nationality or from countries that do not transmit nationality to generations born abroad.
