Geopolitics and Statelessness: The Case of a Tibetan Woman Struggle for Belonging

Statelessness is a global phenomenon that affects millions of individuals who lack citizenship in any state, leaving them in legal limbo and depriving them of fundamental human rights and protection. Geopolitical factors, particularly the contestation of control over territories, exacerbate the precarious situation of stateless people, forcing them to navigate rigid and discriminatory citizenship regimes. In such a precarious legal system, stateless people resort to various survival strategies to secure their legal rights and protection. This chapter examines the case of a Tibetan woman who fled China’s authoritarian rule, traversed multiple borders, and faced the challenges of statelessness in India, Nepal, and Taiwan. The objective is to explore how geopolitical forces perpetuate statelessness and exacerbate the insecurity of stateless refugees and how stateless persons navigate their path of legal rights and protections in this complex, otherwise powerless situation.