# Terrified - I just became a refugee



## S O L A R I S (Dec 24, 2009)

im still in shock.

My legal status expires in 5 months, and after which I will become stateless i.e. a refugee. I have no fucking idea where in the world I can go or who to go to or what to do. I still cant believe it. My whole world just got shattered.


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## Tommygunz (Sep 7, 2009)

WHAT!?! WHY!?! HOW!?!


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## S O L A R I S (Dec 24, 2009)

Well, My citizenship had been lingering for years. But I was still given rights to live my life accordingly. There's a new rule put in place that you need to have a previous citizenship to trade it for a new one, which i agree is standard worldwide. But I have never been a citizen anywhere else in the world. So I don't know if I need to create my own country or what.

My passport will not be renewed, and all legal documents will be revoked in 6 months time. I can't drive or work anymore or travel. I need to find a country that hands out citizenship, I know panama gives you a passport if u invest in the country, but no citizenship.

This is all so surreal right now. I really cannot comprehend it.


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## Visual (Oct 13, 2010)

What country do you live in now, if I may ask? What has held up getting citizenship?

You know it just figures that someone suffering DP/DR is now facing an unreal country! It has got to be just mind-blowing.


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## ValleyGirl (Nov 10, 2017)

wait, how are you not a citizen of any country? Where were you born? How did you come to be in this state? Sorry but I don't know your story.


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## PositiveThinking! (Mar 5, 2010)

Wow that's really horrible :S


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## S O L A R I S (Dec 24, 2009)

Thanks for the support guys,

I'd rather not state explicitly w here I reside, albeit it is in the middle east. I harbor much gratitude to where I grew up and privileges I've received. Not every country in the world gives citizenship upon birth, so I guess that's what makes it a difficult story. And not everyone was born after nations established themselves in the region. So there's this gap. It's weird. I have never felt so faint and light headed as I do now. It's a terrible feeling knowing that your life could be wiped away. I'll keep positive though in hopes of a miracle. Miracles do happen, they have to. A part of me thinks and hopes things will resolve themselves. Someone will come and fix things. I'm sure I won't be the only one, every country has a minority of people with no citizenship I think.

I'll keep fighting and moving forward. I had no friends to talk to today, so thanks everyone for hearing me out. It means a lot to me


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## Teresa (Nov 23, 2009)

Come to Scandinavia









Norway, Sweden or Denmark...


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## ValleyGirl (Nov 10, 2017)

S O L A R I S said:


> Thanks for the support guys,
> 
> I'd rather not state explicitly w here I reside, albeit it is in the middle east. I harbor much gratitude to where I grew up and privileges I've received. Not every country in the world gives citizenship upon birth, so I guess that's what makes it a difficult story. And not everyone was born after nations established themselves in the region. So there's this gap. It's weird. I have never felt so faint and light headed as I do now. It's a terrible feeling knowing that your life could be wiped away. I'll keep positive though in hopes of a miracle. Miracles do happen, they have to. A part of me thinks and hopes things will resolve themselves. Someone will come and fix things. I'm sure I won't be the only one, every country has a minority of people with no citizenship I think.
> 
> I'll keep fighting and moving forward. I had no friends to talk to today, so thanks everyone for hearing me out. It means a lot to me


oK, I understand now. I didn't realize that you are not automatically granted citizenship upon birth. It's interesting for me to think about what you are going through and how I feel exactly the same way except that I do have citizenship. I, however, have lost my entire family and feel very much alone in the world. My life and family had become my husband and kids. But now I am divorced and that bond is gone. So I am alone in the world and I imagine that I feel much the same way that you do. No place to belong, no people to count on, and terrified because dp makes it so much harder to deal with. I am so sorry that you are going through this.


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## voidvoid (Sep 5, 2008)

Teresa said:


> Come to Scandinavia
> 
> 
> 
> ...


This. We have some of the most liberal immigration laws in the world. Good luck.


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## Guest (Dec 13, 2010)

S O L A R I S said:


> im still in shock.
> 
> My legal status expires in 5 months, and after which I will become stateless i.e. a refugee. I have no fucking idea where in the world I can go or who to go to or what to do. I still cant believe it. My whole world just got shattered.


Wow. You just sent me on a research binge. I guess as a US citizen, born here, I never even thought twice of my citizenship. So sorry!

I found that not all countries offer birthright citizenship ... yikes ... and even Sweden is not 100% liberal and can't guarantee work, but things are changing with an aging population and birthrate.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jus_soli

*Jus soli is observed in 90% of the world[citation needed], the United States being the largest practitioner.*

States that observe jus soli include:

* Antigua and Barbuda[4]
* Argentina[4]
* Barbados[4]
* Belize[4]
* Bolivia[4]
* Brazil[4]
* Cambodia[4]
* Canada[4]
* Chile[5] (children of transient foreigners or of foreign diplomats on assignment in Chile only upon request)
* Colombia[4]
* Dominica[4]
* Dominican Republic[4]
* Ecuador[4]
* El Salvador[4]
* Fiji[6]
* Grenada[4]
* Guatemala[4]
* Guyana[4]
* Honduras[4]
* Jamaica[4]
* Lesotho[7]
* Mexico[4]
* Nicaragua[4]
* Pakistan[4]
* Panama[4]
* Paraguay[4]
* Peru[4]
* Saint Christopher and Nevis[4]
* Saint Lucia[4]
* Saint Vincent and the Grenadines[4]
* Trinidad and Tobago[4]
* United States[4]
* Uruguay[4]
* Venezuela[4]

*Re: Sweden:*
Migration Within the EU
1. Under the provisions of the European Union, all citizens of member-states of the EU have the right to residence in Sweden if they are an employee, a job-seeker, self-employed worker, a student or even unemployed as long as they have the means to support themselves during her stay in Sweden. Such immigrants must register their stay after three months and apply of residence cards, and after five years permanent rights of residence cards can be issued.
Labor Immigration
2. *The Swedish government updated its rules for labor immigration on December 15, 2008, with the intention of establishing new parameters to ease employers' ability to hire from abroad, although they must establish that the job vacancy cannot be filled by someone from the EU/EEA or Switzerland. Once a person has been granted the work permit, it is valid for four years, at which point he may apply for permanent residency. The employer must also demonstrate that the employee will be able to offer means to obtain adequate living conditions. For the first two years the work permit will be tied to just one employer, after which it is tied only to the permit holder's particular area of work. If a person with a work permit loses his job, he has three months to find a new job.*
Asylum Seekers
3. As a signatory to the 1951 Geneva Convention, Sweden is required to examine every request for asylum and grant it to those who meet the definition of a refugee under the convention's guidelines. Under the convention, a refugee is a person who cannot return to her home country out of fear of persecution for reasons of race, nationality, religion, political opinion, or other kind of social characteristic. Under the Swedish Aliens Act, people may also seek asylum out of fear of capital punishment, torture, corporal punishment, internal or external armed conflict, environmental disaster, and other social conflicts that leaves a well-founded fear for the safety of the asylum seeker.

http://www.ehow.com/list_7231222_swedish-immigration-laws.html#ixzz182LfJSI5

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*I always thought of Canada as a more accepting country.* But the question is -- jobs. I believe if a US Citizen wishes to MOVE to Canada, they can if they have MONEY.

*SO SORRY YOU ARE GOING THROUGH THIS. I CAN'T IMAGINE.*


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## ValleyGirl (Nov 10, 2017)

Hairball Oracle said:


> Wow. You just sent me on a research binge. I guess as a US citizen, born here, I never even thought twice of my citizenship. So sorry!
> 
> I found that not all countries offer birthright citizenship ... yikes ... and even Sweden is not 100% liberal and can't guarantee work, but things are changing with an aging population and birthrate.
> 
> ...


The immigration laws for Canada are insanely strict. I looked at moving there and they require that you have a sponsor inside Canada willing to say that they provide for you. You must also have enough money to support yourself the entire time that you will be in Canada. You can't even visit there for a day without proof that you won't become stuck and a drain on their resouces. It's crazy.


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## voidvoid (Sep 5, 2008)

There is a difference in what those laws and legislations state and what it is actually like in Sweden. I could not tell you how many immigrants of different status we have, but alot are jobless and/or illegal or awaiting legality. We have so many immigrants that get treated well that in the recent election a racist party with origins in neo-nazism got elected in to parliament by the ignorant public. Thankfully they do not have much power.

Why did you single out Sweden? I thought our forumwars of old were forgotten









As for Canada, last time I checked you had to be "exceptional in your field of work" or there had to be a shortage of people in your profession. Or you had to marry a Canadian. All this for citizenship that is.


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2010)

Didn't single out Sweden, Sweden was mentioned. I was curious. I have a friend, US Citizen, whose brother and wife live in Sweden (they've been there ... wow, 25 or 30 years now) -- and my friend was considering moving to Sweden, but she had no job prospects, even though her brother works at a University and she has a degree in Social Welfare. The only way he could live there was he is a Professor of Linguistics or something. He spoke Swedish and several other languages. He had several tough interviews before he moved there with his wife who also had to seek employment -- and he was on some sort of probation. He has dual citizenship I think, or he renounced US citizenship. Can't recall.

I am surprised at Canada. And yet not. I keep thinking, because I live in the Detroit, MI area which is directly across from Windsor, Ontario that there was always an intermix of Canadians and Americans when I was growing up. The auto industry, entertainment. I have a Passport, but I also have a car ID to go across to Canada as a tourist. They have gotten more strict in recent years. I can cross into Canada over a bridge in about 5 minutes. Last time I came back from Toronto though I was detained for questioning. Just random.

Since 9/11 a lot has changed too. And wars and, oh my, everything.

I just find it astounding that birth right does not mean citizenship in MANY countries.
There are many Americans who don't like that we are so liberal with that, and as it stated, wherever, the US is the most "welcoming" of immigrants, and yet now there is anger that immigrants take US jobs or we outsource overseas.

I would not want to be a refugee. SOLARIS keep up posted!


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2010)

*Fairypeople*, I see you're in Vancouver, WA. Is it British Columbia that is strict? That Provence? I know Quebec hates everyone, LOL. If you're in Vancouver, WA they're probably terrified you'll sneak across into Vancouver, BC. I LOVE it up there. My mother in law used to live in Bellingham, WA. I want to live on Victoria Island with a little rockery out front.

Yup, the world is a tough place.


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## Guest (Dec 14, 2010)

Yeah, wherever you might want to emigrate to you need to already have money (as a retired person), or you need to be readily employable. Wealthy people, VERY wealthy people here in the US move to Ecuador, Mexico, etc. and some other places to retire. Much less expensive, and yet you have to have the MONEY to pay taxes or a country isn't too pleased to have you.


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## Surfingisfun001 (Sep 25, 2007)

voidvoid said:


> This. We have some of the most liberal immigration laws in the world. Good luck.


wow when did you become voidvoid? that just totally threw me off


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## Surfingisfun001 (Sep 25, 2007)

Solaris, that is intense... I don't even know what to say. Must be a rough thing to deal with, I wish you the best.


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## S O L A R I S (Dec 24, 2009)

Thanks guys for the outpour of support. Although its only virtual, it means a lot to me.

Today was much better. I decided to go out, went to the mall, had Thai food and just tried to take my mind off of things. Apparently, there's this tiny east African nation between Madagascar and Mozambique called the republic of the Comoros which If I understand correctlyhands out passport and citizenship upon application at the embassy. No strings attached. I'd have to research further into it. But even if I do it, I'll need residency visa to stay here. But I live at home with my mother who already has full citizenship. Shes the one who by law gives citizenship to Her kids, but things got entangled along the way with paperwork.

I am considering looking into Belgium in fact, brussels. They provide citizenship in two years if you are a stateless person.

Agh, I actually took two weeks off of work after two years of back to back work. I'm even loosing a few leave days because I never used to take days off. This is quite the vacation, atleast I have enough time to sort things out.

On a lightner note, I went to my balcony to smoke a cigarette, and saw Two shooting stars! How random is that! I never see shooting stars! Its weird, maybe the cosmos are trying to tell me something.


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