Barriers to Political Participation Among Stateless Communities: A Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study aimed to explore the multifaceted barriers to political participation experienced by stateless individuals residing in Tehran, Iran. Using a qualitative research design, this study employed semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 16 stateless participants selected through purposive sampling. The interviews focused on participants' lived experiences with civic exclusion and perceptions of political engagement. Data collection continued until theoretical saturation was achieved. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed thematically using NVivo software. Thematic analysis followed Braun and Clarke’s six-phase approach, including open, axial, and selective coding to identify recurrent patterns across participant narratives. Trustworthiness was ensured through member checking and peer debriefing. Analysis revealed four major themes: legal and administrative barriers, socioeconomic constraints, psychological and cultural inhibitions, and institutional and structural exclusion. Subthemes included lack of documentation, ineligibility for voting, poverty, educational deprivation, political disillusionment, internalized stigma, and absence of representation. Participants consistently reported systemic neglect, fear of state surveillance, and feelings of invisibility in public discourse. These barriers interacted in complex ways, compounding exclusion and limiting not only formal political engagement but also informal civic expression. Quotes from interviews highlighted a pervasive sense of helplessness and resignation among participants, underpinned by decades of bureaucratic marginalization and social discrimination. Stateless individuals in Tehran face intersecting legal, social, psychological, and institutional obstacles that severely restrict their political participation. Addressing these barriers requires a multi-pronged strategy involving legal reform, inclusive public policy, civic education, and active engagement by civil society. Political inclusion should be treated as a fundamental right, not a privilege, to ensure the democratic representation of all residents regardless of legal status.