The Invisibility Crisis

The Challenge

Today, forced displacement affects around 120 million people worldwide. More than 850 million people lack official proof of identity. The forced displacement crisis is especially severe in places where people are less likely to have legal identity and mass displacement itself often leads to the loss or destruction of documents. This identity gap excludes the most vulnerable from essential services and fuels a dangerous cycle: statelessness deepens vulnerability, denies rights, and delays recovery, while host countries face fiscal strain and lost economic potential as displaced populations struggle to take part in the formal economy. 

The Opportunity

Human-centered digital innovation offers a breakthrough. Through verifiable digital credentialing and core bio-data that remain protected and under the individual’s control, displaced people can securely manage personal records and prove their identity and gain access to essential public and private services. This opens pathways to dignified economic and social participation in host countries.

Theory of Change

We believe that by empowering displaced and stateless people with secure, self-owned digital identities, we can transform identity from a barrier into a bridge to opportunity. By acting now to build inclusive, interoperable systems, we can create a future where the most vulnerable can access services, assert their rights, and fully participate in society. Through this, identity becomes a tool for resilience, dignity, and shared prosperity in a more just world.