When whistleblower Edward Snowden gave his first interview to American media in May, one of his chief laments was that, with his passport deactivated and threat of jail time in the United States, he had turned into a stateless person. From his apartment in Moscow, where he is neither a citizen nor allowed to stay any longer than his visa can be renewed, he claimed he simply has no viable place to go.

As a complaint, Snowden’s lament is sad. But in context, Snowden, in a secure apartment in a developed capital city, has it far better than others. According to the United Nations and its refugee arm, the Office of the High Commissioner for Refugees, there are more than 10