Stateless persons

Mark D. Fulwiler (mfulwiler@earthlink.net)
Mon, 29 Dec 1997 13:58:12 -0700


> John E Westerlage wrote:

> Since Extropians are spread out around the globe, perhaps I can obtain
> several
> perspectives on these questions.
>
> Now that the assets of a citizen of the U.S. may be confiscated in
> retaliation for
> changing his citizenship to that of another country (Health Insurance
> Portability and
> Accountability Act of 1996, HR3103, Sections 511-513, Public Law 104-191,
>
> Effective 21 August 1996), I have begun to wonder about other strategies
> for
> emmigration from the U.S.
>
> The most obvious course of action is to become a stateless person.

But I
> know
> nothing of the consequences of this, not to mention the procedure for
> accomplishing it.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas on how one goes about becoming a stateless
> person?
>
> Is statelessness merely a lack of any citizenship? Or is it an
> officially recognized
> status?
>
> How does one go about becoming a stateless person?
>
> How does doing so affect international travel? With no country of record
> to
> issue a passport, what sort of documents does one produce at borders? Or
>
> does some agency, such as the United Nations, issue passports to
> stateless
> persons?
>
> Are there (m)any legal or tax consequences of becoming stateless?
>
> Any answers or suggestions for further investigation would be
> appreciated.
>
> Ciao for now,
>
> jw

I am not an attorney, but I believe that this is a libertarian pipe
dream at the moment. As far as a know, if you go down to the State
Department and renounce you citizenship, it will be ignored unless you
present proof that you have become a citizen of another country. There
is no legally recoginized entity as a "stateless person."

Mark Fulwiler