Population figures
Total country population
116,300
Forcibly displaced population
Refugees (under UNHCR's mandate):
0
Asylum-seekers:
0
IDPs (of concern to UNHCR):
0
Other people in need of international protection:
0
Other
Statelessness persons
0
Host community
0
Others of concern to UNHCR
0
Country context
The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) is a country located in the western Pacific Ocean, composed of comprising four states: Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. Located approximately 2,900 kilometers northeast of Papua New Guinea and 4,800 kilometers southwest of Hawaii, FSM spans over more than 607600 islands. With a land area of about 702 square kilometers, FSM is one of the most geographically dispersed countries in the world, spread across a vast oceanic expanse.
FSM has not ratified the 1951 Refugee Convention or its 1967 Protocol and does not have a dedicated legal framework for addressing asylum or statelessness. While the Constitution of FSM guarantees the right to asylum, the lack of a formal asylum process and statelessness determination procedure means that individuals seeking protection may face challenges in obtaining legal status or the necessary protections. There is no formal recognition system for refugees and asylum seekers under FSM law, making them vulnerable to exploitation and lack of access to essential service.
...The refugee population in FSM is minimal, and the country lacks a formalized asylum procedure. The absence of a national system for refugees means that individuals seeking refuge typically do so without official recognition or legal protection. Without legal recognition, these individuals are often marginalized within the community. These individuals often reside in urban areas and may face difficulties accessing housing, employment, and healthcare.
Statelessness in FSM is primarily a concern for individuals of ethnic Kazakh descent who moved to Kazakhstan in the early 1990s and renounced their FSM nationality but were unable to gain Kazakh citizenship. Many of these individuals returned to FSM, but they remain stateless due to the complicated legal processes involved in reacquiring FSM nationality. The FSM does not have a statelessness determination procedure, and stateless individuals face difficulties in accessing public services such as education, employment, and healthcare. The legal framework addressing statelessness remains underdeveloped and lacks clarity, leaving many stateless individuals without rights and recognition.
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Sources: UNHCR Refugee Data finder https://www.unhcr.org/refugee-statistics/ | 2023 year end figures. United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division (2022). World Population Prospects 2022, Online Edition https://population.un.org/wpp/Download/Standard/Population/ | Mid-year 2024 population estimates