BySCEME
U.A.E takes Steps to Tackle Discriminatory Citizenship Laws
Citizenship laws have long proved a difficult factor for women across the Arab world. Countries such as Lebanon and Jordan continue to implement laws that restrict women from passing on their citizenship to their children; this greatly affects Arab women who are married to foreigners.
However, on November 30th of this year, AFP reported that “The United Arab Emirates announced that children of Emirati women married to foreigners could apply for citizenship once they turned 18, moving closer to giving women the same nationality rights as men.”
President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahayan said the “children of women citizens married to foreigners should be treated as citizens,” in a report to WAM state news agency.
Whilst the law does not totally remove complex citizenship laws, it is a definite movement towards change and SCEME welcomes the decision.
Countries such as Morocco, Algeria and Egypt all allow women to pass on citizenship to their children and we hope that the rest of the region follows suit in due course.
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