'You're invisible, you don't exist' - life without a birth certificate

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 4 min read 100% complete January 2, 2026 at 03:15 AM

AI Summary

long article 4 min

Millions worldwide live without birth certificates, leading to statelessness and limited access to basic rights. In South Africa, Arnold Ncube, born in Johannesburg to a South African father, exemplifies this struggle. Abandoned by his parents, he lacks documentation to prove his citizenship, preventing him from completing his education and securing stable employment. He is one of an estimated 10,000 stateless people in South Africa facing similar challenges. Statelessness, often caused by administrative issues and poor record-keeping, hinders access to education, healthcare, and other essential services. Human rights lawyer Christy Chitengu, who was once stateless herself, now advocates for others facing this issue.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Thembisa 50% Johannesburg ×260% United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 60% Lawyers for Human Rights 60% Christy Chitengu ×270% South Africa ×480% Arnold Ncube ×290%

Keywords

statelessness 100% birth certificate 90% south africa 80% citizenship 70% lack of documentation 60% access to education 50% human rights 50% public services 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Very Negative

Score: -0.70

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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statelessness birth certificate south africa citizenship lack of documentation access to education human rights public services

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