For most travelers, an airline ticket is a guarantee of movement. But for stateless people, refugees, and asylum seekers in Europe, that ticket is often worthless. Airlines, fearing fines from immigration authorities, sometimes deny boarding to travelers with documents the airline doesn’t understand, even when the travelers have the legal right to enter the destination country. This practice turns commercial carriers into unofficial border guards, needlessly restricting mobility and cutting people off from work, family, and essential opportunities.
Take, for example, a stateless person holding a travel document issued under the UN’s 1954 Statelessness Convention. In theory, this document should allow them to board flights just like any passport holder. In practice, many airline staff are unfamiliar with these documents or hesitate to accept them, fearing they might be penalized if the passenger is later refused entry at their destination. The result? People are turned away at check-in and left stranded despite following all legal procedures.
Apatride Network, a stateless-led organization advocating for restoring the right to movement for stateless individuals and holding airlines accountable for upholding, rather than undermining, fundamental rights, recognized the urgent need to challenge wrongful travel denials. Through its clearinghouse service, PILnet connected the organization with international law firm DLA Piper. The firm engaged multiple European offices to research airline liability, compensation claims, and the broader policy failures that compel airlines to act as amateur border enforcers.
Apatride Network now seeks to use the research to challenge boarding denials, pursue compensation, and assert the rights of stateless individuals and refugees against non-compliant airlines. At the same time, it is leveraging the findings to advocate for policy reforms that clarify airline responsibilities and prevent unjust boarding denials.
This issue extends beyond individual cases—it represents a systemic failure that traps stateless individuals within artificial boundaries, denying them basic rights and opportunities. As a member of the Global Alliance to End Statelessness, PILnet is committed to expanding its support for those working on statelessness, including stateless-led organizations. This project exemplifies how pro bono legal expertise can strengthen grassroots advocacy and drive systemic change to challenge the barriers faced by stateless communities.