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July 9, 2025
As part of the Rights Now! human rights programme at the 22nd Docudays UA International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival, a special screening of a documentary film about stateless people was held, followed by a discussion on the topic.
The When You Do Not Exist: How Statelessness Destroys People's Lives event was organised by the Dokudeiz NGO and Right to Protection. The event explored the reasons why people face statelessness, its impact on their lives, the risks of statelessness faced by Ukrainians who leave the occupied territories, and how society can support individuals who struggle to articulate their rights.
Andrii Li, who has personally experienced statelessness and became the protagonist of the film, Stateless Person, also joined the discussion. The speakers at the event were Sofiia Kordonets, Head of the Assistance to Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Stateless Persons in Ukraine at R2P; Anastasiia Tykha, Director of the Stateless Person film; and Maksym Butkevych, a Human Rights Activist and Public Figure. Aliona Luniova, advocacy director at the ZMINA Human Rights Centre, moderated the event.
Photo by Docudays UA
The discussion was preceded by a screening of the short documentary, The Stateless Person, created by Babylon'13 in collaboration with R2P. The film is based on Andrii Li's story, a man who has lived in Ukraine without citizenship for over 30 years. He was born in Tajikistan. In the 1990s, when he was 17, his family moved to Ukraine. They lived in Skadovsk, Khersonska oblast.
Andrii's parents still had Soviet passports, but he had no documents at all. At the same time, his country of origin did not recognise him as a citizen. Andrii and his family tried for a long time to obtain documents on their own, but they were refused. All this time, the man had been unable to find an official job, pursue an education, or even register with a family doctor. Andrii's case only moved forward when he turned to R2P for help.
Anastasiia Tykha, Director of The Stateless Person, says she decided to make this movie because society knows so little about this issue. The picture is an opportunity to speak to a broader audience and an attempt to help resolve the problem.
Anastasiia Tykha, Director of The Stateless Person
"Issues such as this (statelessness — ed.) can only be resolved when as many people as possible learn about them, as this will help to move things forward faster. That is why I got to be interested in working on this, including for my own sake, to learn more about the problem."
During the filming, R2P's lawyers accompanied Andrii Li and helped him obtain a permanent residence permit in Ukraine so that he could realise his rights. Almost a year after filming began, at the end of 2024, the man was finally able to obtain a permanent residence permit in Ukraine. And finally exercised his rights.
Andrii Li, the Protagonist of The Stateless Person
"A little over a month ago, I got a medical referral. I am 47 years old, and this is the first time I have received medical assistance."
The man also noted that the film in which he was the main character is an attempt to discuss statelessness publicly. He is convinced that his experience can also be helpful to people who have lost hope and do not know how they can obtain any documents.
Andrii Li
"I agreed to appear in the film because I think that if people without citizenship or documents see this film, then whatever their situation, they should understand that there is a long path ahead. However, it is a path that they can overcome."
Next, the man plans to take exams in the Ukrainian language and history and obtain a Ukrainian passport. However, this process is also quite lengthy.
Sofiia Kordonets, Head of the Assistance to Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Stateless Persons in Ukraine programme direction at R2P, noted that Andrii is not the only one who has faced this problem in Ukraine.
According to R2P's study, 236,000 people in Ukraine are at risk of statelessness. This number may be significantly higher, given the war. Stateless people remain invisible to the state and society, as no country in the world recognises them as its citizens, and it is difficult for them to prove their Ukrainian citizenship.
Sofiia Kordonets, Head of the Assistance to Refugees, Asylum Seekers and Stateless Persons in Ukraine programme direction at R2P
"If we talk about how long it takes on average to resolve one such case, in our situation, we work on each for two to five years. The easiest cases are resolved within a year. There have been cases that we have resolved in seven years. And sometimes it's not even about obtaining a Ukrainian passport."
With uncertain status and rights, stateless persons may live for years without being able to find official employment, access free medical care, or register their marriage or the birth of a child.
Human rights activist Maxym Butkevych noted that difficulties in confirming citizenship lead those who do not have it to continue living in this status for years, simply losing hope that anything will work out for them.
Maksym Butkevych, Human Rights Activist and Public Figure
"In fact, there are quite a lot of people who have problems either with lack of citizenship or lack of confirmation of citizenship. Faced with our bureaucratic machine, at some point, they simply give up. Well, it's too difficult to go through all these hoops. And it can take years."
A Rare Resource is this year's theme for the film festival. For Ukraine and its society, this refers specifically to individuals who do not hold citizenship. And it is precisely these people who should be at the centre of such discussions and the resolution of such issues.
Aliona Luniova, advocacy director at the ZMINA Human Rights Centre
"In fact, we started with the idea that people are a rare resource. And it's great that we are concluding our panel discussion, or at least part of the conversation, with the idea that people should be at the centre."
Participants also had the opportunity to view the photo exhibition, I Exist, dedicated to the issue of statelessness. The photographs depict individuals who have encountered this problem, whose status and rights have remained or long been uncertain. As a result, they have remained invisible to government agencies and society.
