Civitas ID, a human-centered digital identity system for displaced persons and refugees, is being built on Stellar to solve the invisibility crisis affecting 123 million displaced people globally. The platform aims to bridge humanitarian aid dependency into formal economic participation through portable, verifiable credentials.
Civitas ID founder and board chair presented a vision for addressing the global displacement crisis affecting 123 million people today, projected to reach 1.2 billion in 25 years. The core problem is identity invisibility: displaced persons lack documentation to access healthcare, banking, housing, and employment, trapping them in vulnerability and human trafficking risks. Civitas ID is building a portable identity wallet on Stellar that captures verified credentials through biometric data, physical documents, and electronic records, then transfers them to banks, employers, and service providers via trust scoring. The system is designed specifically for displaced populations, unlike existing national digital identity systems. Working with UNDP, UNHCR, IOM, and Stellar, Civitas is piloting with the Kenyan government to reduce refugee authority PIN issuance from 3-6 years to seconds. The platform incorporates zero-knowledge proofs, smart contracts for employment and microfinance, and rigorous data security and do-not-harm principles given the vulnerable populations served.