"Born in Canada and Stateless: The Intersection of Immigration and Criminal Justice" event summary

Deepan Budlakoti presented his experience of statelessness on May 26th at an event hosted by the Migration, Mobilities and Social Politics (MMSP) Research Cluster at the Balsillie School of International Affairs (BSIA) entitled "Born in Canada and Stateless: The Intersection of Immigration and Criminal Justice." He shared his personal story of statelessness, despite being born in Canada, which included details about his incarceration in Ontario, the conditions that prisoners, along with immigration detainees, face, and in his case, how he ended up in a lengthy and ongoing legal and human rights battle trying to regain his Canadian status. Deepan outlined the many challenges that a stateless person in Canada faces, the fundamental rights that he lacks, such as the right to work and access medical care, and moreover, the fact that he lives in constant insecurity and cannot make long-term plans. More information about Deepan’s story, his pursuit of justice, and his advocacy for prisoner's rights and the rights of people with precarious citizenship status can be found here: http://www.justicefordeepan.org. BSIA PhD Candidate Allison Petrozziello served as a discussant, as she specializes in researching statelessness and birth citizenship. Her presentation complemented Deepan's story, bringing context to how statelessness manifests, both in Canada and globally, and is being addressed and studied.