Stateless: One Man’s Struggle for an Identity

by Gerard van Leeuwen

Some 10 million people around the world are stateless. With no birth certificate, Kamal Kojadin was in that very position, having fled Croatia with his parents in May 1945. The family managed to build a new life, but time and again they were forced to flee. After the death of his parents Kamal returned to Yugoslavia, and it was only then that he really started to feel the effects of living without official papers, as he found he was unable to open a bank account, buy a house, and marry. After the love of his life died, their children were taken away from him. Kamal felt like a prisoner in his home country, and ended up begging on the streets of Sarajevo.

222 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 2, 2017

Reviews

[Darya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Unputdownable!

I don't generally read such extensive biographical stories but was absolutely engulfed by Kamal's.

Weaving through the intricacies of his family story takes the reader to absolutely unexpected places. Learning then the story of Kamal's lifelong battle and search for a true, meaningful identity was a remarkable experience.

My perspectives of both nationality and statelessness have changed remarkably.

This is definitely a story that needs to be read and shared far and wide, especially in today's political climate.