The Stateless Worker Problem: Linking Nationality Law Discrimination to EU Corporate Due Diligence

This article explores how gender-discriminatory nationality laws create stateless populations who are excluded from formal labor markets, forming a class of “stateless workers.” It argues that such structural exclusion constitutes not only a human-rights violation but also a blind spot in corporate governance and due diligence frameworks. By linking this issue to the EU’s Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), the piece highlights how corporate compliance mechanisms overlook vulnerabilities rooted in nationality law. The article calls for expanding the CSDDD’s definition of human-rights risks to include nationality-based exclusion, ensuring that responsible business practice aligns with the EU’s broader human-rights commitments.