Statelessness remains one of the most overlooked humanitarian challenges in today’s global landscape. More than 15 million people around the world live without any officially recognized nationality, which leaves them unable to access basic legal rights, education, employment, or international travel (Institute on Statelessness and Inclusion, 2025).
Until recently, investment migration programs were primarily tailored to individuals with clear legal identities and established financial records. Stateless people were often excluded from these routes due to a lack of documentation. However, this is beginning to change.
As governments increasingly recognise the social and humanitarian responsibilities tied to global mobility, a small but growing number of Citizenship and Residency by Investment programs are offering dedicated pathways for stateless individuals. This marks an important evolution in how investment migration can be used, not just as a tool for capital inflow, but also as a mechanism for inclusion and human rights.
Nauru: A Groundbreaking Program with Humanitarian and Strategic Dimensions
In a precedent-setting move, on September 3, 2025, Nauru’s Citizenship-by-Investment Unit announced it had granted citizenship to a stateless Kuwaiti national under its Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program (ECRCP). This marks the first time a CBI program has openly approved a stateless applicant, offering a new model for how investment migration can address humanitarian gaps. The program provides a politically neutral alternative passport and supports Nauru’s climate efforts, including the Higher Ground Initiative, which seeks to relocate its population away from rising sea levels.
According to CEO Edward Clark, the applicant passed rigorous due diligence checks including financial intelligence and police screening and was able to demonstrate his identity and personal history despite his stateless status. “He is a highly successful and motivated individual,” Clark said, “and his statelessness is due to circumstances beyond his control.” He added that many others around the world face similar barriers and could be a good fit for this program. For stateless individuals, such pathways offer life-changing access to mobility, security, and identity benefits that most investment migration clients seek as a strategic advantage, but which stateless persons often need for basic survival.
Why it Matters
The inclusion of stateless individuals in Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs reflects a growing recognition of humanitarian responsibility within the investment migration space. These applicants may not have standard identification documents, but they can still qualify through credible personal history and sworn affidavits.
The programs maintain strict vetting procedures, including background checks from international police and financial intelligence units, to ensure only legitimate applicants are approved.
In the case of Nauru, the funds raised contribute to climate resilience efforts, particularly the Higher Ground Initiative, which aims to move the population to safer areas in response to rising sea levels.
This approach shows how investment migration can serve not only global mobility goals but also humanitarian and environmental priorities, offering a neutral and practical solution for addressing statelessness.
Antigua & Barbuda: The Region’s Most Inclusive Option for Stateless Individuals
Antigua & Barbuda remains the only Caribbean Citizenship-by-Investment (CBI) program that explicitly permits stateless individuals, particularly those from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Brunei to apply under its standard framework, provided they meet eligibility requirements and pass due diligence screening (Respect Services, 2025).
According to the program’s official stance, these applicants must fulfill all standard investment thresholds and documentation requirements, and they are not exempt from rigorous background checks conducted by both national and international agencies (Global Residence Index, 2025). This ensures that the program maintains high integrity while still offering a path forward for individuals who, through no fault of their own, lack legal nationality.
Unlike many jurisdictions that lack clear guidelines for stateless applicants, Antigua & Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) affirms that such individuals can apply without prejudice, especially if they originate from jurisdictions where Bidoon populations are prevalent and where nationality documentation is either denied or non-existent (Henley & Partners, 2025; Get Golden Visa, 2025).
This forward-thinking approach not only strengthens Antigua & Barbuda’s global positioning in the investment migration space but also signals a blend of economic strategy and humanitarian responsibility rarely seen in CBI frameworks.
Why Inclusive Citizenship Policy Matters for Statelessness and Investment Migration
Inclusive citizenship policies are neither just symbolic nor ornamental, they are deeply strategic and profoundly ethical. Stateless individuals live in a state of legal invisibility, often blocked from formal employment, access to education or healthcare, and the basic right to travel. When a citizenship-by-investment or residency-by-investment program opens a clear path for these individuals, it grants them something much deeper than a travel document, it restores identity, opportunity, and dignity to people long denied these fundamentals.
From a business perspective, the value of such inclusion goes beyond humanitarian optics. Programs that formally welcome stateless applicants are demonstrating real-world alignment with environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards, which matters increasingly to institutional partners, private clients, and global advisors. These reform-minded programs open new doors to client segments that had previously been ignored offerings to stateless professionals, families, or those who simply lack nationality but are ready to contribute socially and economically. This approach builds brand trust, cements reputational leadership, and shows that investment migration programs can be vehicles not just for personal gain, but for ethical impact and global equity.
Key Considerations for Stateless CBI Applicants
For stateless individuals exploring citizenship-by-investment (CBI) options, both Nauru and Antigua & Barbuda provide rare access but with serious procedural standards. These programs prioritise identity verification and financial integrity, requiring applicants to present credible evidence of who they are and how they sustain themselves. While a lack of formal nationality isn’t disqualifying, applicants must still prove eligibility through documentation such as sworn affidavits, legal records, or detailed personal histories.
Nauru’s Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program begins at USD 105,000, with approvals typically processed in three to four months. Antigua & Barbuda’s offering, starting from USD 230,000, allows broader family inclusion and operates within a more established Caribbean CBI framework.
However, applicants should approach these opportunities with realistic expectations. Each case is evaluated individually, and approval is not automatic. Statelessness alone is not a shortcut, programs apply full due diligence to ensure that applicants meet both humanitarian and regulatory standards.
A Niche with Growing Relevance
Statelessness is one of the most overlooked humanitarian challenges and yet, through carefully designed citizenship-by-investment programs, countries like Nauru and Antigua & Barbuda are demonstrating that inclusion and innovation can coexist. These jurisdictions offer more than just second passports; they present a lifeline to individuals living without legal identity or national protection.
As global mobility becomes increasingly complex, and as ESG-conscious investors seek purpose alongside security, these models show how investment migration can expand its scope to address real-world inequities. For professionals in the Outbound Investment space, understanding this evolving niche is not just a matter of service expansion, it’s an opportunity to align strategy with meaningful social contribution.
