Iloubnan - A foreign spouse and children of a Lebanese woman are enabled a free 3-year-stay

BEIRUT, By Anne Ilcinkas

Since June 9, 2010, the husband and children of a Lebanese woman can now obtain a three-year residence license for free. The decree that allows such a procedure was just enforced. This will make life easier, namely in terms of administrative procedures. However, women and men still don’t equally have the right to transfer their Lebanese nationality. The campaign continues this Sunday with a march to take place in Beirut.
“This is no surprise. We were expecting it. It is just a matter of time and procedure”, “My nationality, a right for me and for my children”, Campaign coordinator Roula al-Masri said, commenting the recently enforced decree, enabling, therefore, the husband and the children of a Lebanese woman to have a three-year residence (in Lebanon) after one year of marriage.
On April 17, 2010, Interior Minister Ziad Baroud submitted the decree. Almost two months later, on June 9, 2010, President Michel Sleiman signed the decree and enforced it. However, the Lebanes woman’s foreign spouse is still denied tehr ight to work. he should also get a work license.
“This is certainly a stage but still it doesn’t meet our requests”, Roula al-Masri added. “We seek a true modification of the law, a true equality among men and women in Lebanon. We want the Lebanese woman to transfer her nationality to both her husband and children”.
In Lebanon, only men have this fundamental right, according to the 1925 law. In Arab countries like Egypt, Algeria, Tunisia or Morocco, mothers are eligible for passing on their nationality to their children. In 2009, the civil society intensified its campaign for granting this right to the Lebanese mothers, however, a relevant draft bill submitted to the Parliament remained on ground zero.
Still in 2009, a judge granted a Lebanese woman, Samira Soueidan, the right to transfer her Lebanese nationality to her three children, whose father is Egyptian. But her happiness didn’t last for a long time as the Lebanese State lodged an appeal against the decision which was rejected on May 18.
The campaign continues with a new rendez-vous. Roula al-Masri as well as many civil society organizations invited the Lebanese citizens to participate in the “Popular Mock Court” March on Sunday, June 20, in Beirut. (Check the event on facebook: www.facebook.com/#!/event.php).