Legal Assistance and Citizenship Documentation for Stateless Persons: A Case Study in Border Areas of West Kalimantan

Bantuan Hukum dan Dokumentasi Kewarganegaraan bagi Orang Tanpa Kewarganegaraan: Studi Kasus di Daerah Perbatasan Kalimantan Barat

Abstract

Introduction:
Statelessness constitutes a persistent legal and social problem in Indonesia’s border areas, particularly in West Kalimantan, where historical migration, porous borders, and administrative exclusion intersect. Stateless individuals often lack birth certificates and identity documents, rendering them invisible to the state and excluded from basic rights.

Purposes:
This study investigates the role of legal assistance in facilitating access to citizenship documentation and legal recognition for stateless persons living in border communities.

Method:
A qualitative case study methodology was employed, involving in-depth interviews with stateless individuals, legal aid practitioners, civil registry officials, and local leaders. Policy and legal framework analysis was conducted to examine nationality laws and administrative procedures.

Findings and Results:
The research demonstrates that legal assistance substantially improved access to civil registration by guiding applicants through complex administrative requirements and advocating before authorities. Legal aid organizations functioned as intermediaries that bridged trust gaps between marginalized communities and state institutions. Nevertheless, geographical isolation, limited state capacity, and rigid bureaucratic practices continued to hinder comprehensive resolution of statelessness.

Urgency
Resolving statelessness is urgent as legal invisibility perpetuates intergenerational poverty and social exclusion.

Contribution:
This study enriches empirical knowledge on legal interventions addressing statelessness in border regions.

Recommendation:
The study recommends administrative reform, mobile registration services, and strengthened cross-border coordination.