Daily Star - Draft law to allow mothers to pass nationality to children: First Lady, April 06, 2012

BEIRUT: First Lady Wafaa Sleiman and the National Committee for Women’s Affairs announced Thursday that they have completed draft legislation to amend the nationality law to allow Lebanese women married to foreigners to pass their citizenship to their children.

The committee announced it would submit the draft law to the relevant authorities during a Thursday meeting, the National News Agency reported.

According to the committee, the draft law states that Lebanese women have the right to pass their nationality to their children, but takes into account a constitutional ban on the permanent settlement of Palestinians.

The draft law suggests granting the children of Lebanese women married to Palestinian men a “green card,” which would allow them to all rights except for political rights and the right to property ownership.

Under the terms of the draft law, one year after the legislation is endorsed, the children of Lebanese mothers and Palestinian fathers over the age of 18 will have one year to request Lebanese nationality from the judiciary, if they meet certain conditions, including a period of 10 years residing in the country.

The groups said the draft law is based on article seven of the Constitution, which states “all Lebanese are equal before the law and enjoy equal civil and political rights and have equal duties.”

Lebanese women married to foreigners cannot currently pass their nationality on to their children, an issue activists have been campaigning to change for years.


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