Greg Contantine 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. "As non-persons, they are excluded from participating in the political process and are removed from the protection of laws, leaving them vulnerable to extortion, harassment and any number of human-rights abuses." 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.
The images in Nowhere People negate the idea that these men, women and children are non-persons. Hope and determination explode through the black and white frames. Personal stories and interviews populate the book as well, adding rich layers of language and history, and show Constantine’s commitment to bearing witness. 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 powerful book as well as captions provided by the photographer.
