The Citizens of Nowhere

Greg Constantine has spent a decade photographing people with no documentation, and no rights. Working with various refugee groups and non-governmental organizations, Constantine has visited stateless communities in 18 countries—including Sri Lanka, Kenya, Kuwait, Crimea, Italy, and the Dominican Republic. 

His new book, Nowhere People, gives an unparalleled view of what it is like to be denied citizenship. "In most cases, they cannot work legally, receive basic state health-care services, obtain an education, open a bank account or benefit from even the smallest development programs," Constantine said. Without passports or any identification papers, these families typically cannot travel to pursue a better life, and at the same time, are at risk of deportation from their own homes. By capturing the lives of these stateless people on camera, Constantine creates a kind documentation that governments have long denied them.

Below is a selection of images from his book as well as captions provided by the photographer.

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