In this thesis, I many related questions regarding the fluctuating relationships between national communities and outsiders, specifically in the case of refugees and stateless peoples. After discussing the meanings of these terms, such as the definition and identities of the refugee and the nation-state, I delve into a philosophical examination of individual rights, particularly rights that are defended by nation-states, and the relationships between national communities and those existing outside of those communities whose lives may depend on their acceptance into a nation-state. I philosophically outline the likely experiences of refugees as they are faced with statelessness, including what forces push against them, what actions taken by what groups have collaborated to ensure their inability to gain rights, and what attitudes contribute to these actions. My aim throughout this thesis was to understand and analyze the philosophical concepts of statelessness, exclusion, and rights
