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The lack of official outcomes of the demographic shifts occurring in Lebanon isn’t solely due to the internal circumstances of neighboring regional countries; it also stems from illegal practices such as the failure to register Lebanese children with civil authorities. Between the absence of Lebanese identity for stateless children and the peril of trafficking, what role does the Lebanese state play in protecting those stateless?
In this context, Chairwoman of the National Committee for Addressing the Status of Stateless Lebanese Children, Alice Kairouz Sleiman, indicated to “Houna Loubnan” that the status of stateless (Maktoom Al Qaid, in Arabic) applies to every Lebanese child whose birth hasn’t been registered by their parents with the Lebanese civil registry since their birth.
Consequently, these children lack legal recognition and official documentation, rendering them unrecognized by the state. She emphasized, “This individual is marginalized and vulnerable to various forms of misdeeds, including suicide, despair, and trafficking. They may resort to working in bars, drug smuggling, or any other harmful activity. Therefore, our mission is to ensure that marginalized children, from birth, enjoy all fundamental rights as declared in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Convention on the Rights of the Child, or any other relevant international law or treaty.”
Regarding Lebanese laws concerning stateless individuals, Sleiman confirmed that the Parliament has passed legislation targeting human trafficking, encompassing penalties and fines for those convicted. The implementation of this law has commenced within Lebanese territory. Furthermore, she highlighted the presence of multiple Lebanese laws addressing stateless persons, such as the 1951 Law on Civil Status Document Registration, the Law on Protecting Minors Violating the Law and at Risk of Perversion, and relevant provisions within the Penal Code addressing human trafficking, exploitation, or violence against individuals.
According to Sleiman, the committee she chairs presented three draft laws during a recent workshop in Parliament. The first proposal defines the legal guardians — the parents — with the inclusion of the family court judge to ensure legal protection. These guardians have the right to file a lawsuit to register a child, facilitating the acquisition of an identity.
The second proposal emphasizes categorizing stateless individuals as persons vulnerable to perversion and thus requiring protection. Therefore, they necessitate the intervention of the family court judge to provide such protection.
The third proposal, tied to the Penal Code, deals with parents who delay registering their child with civil authorities. This action is considered a criminal offense, punishable by fines and imprisonment under the law.
Sleiman clarified that in the past, several committees had been established to address children’s labor and compare Lebanese legislation with international agreements concerning children. However, the stateless individuals’ category remained neglected until Prime Minister Mikati renamed the committee as the National Committee for Addressing the Status of Stateless Lebanese Children. Additionally, Minister Derbas designated February 25 as the National Day for Lebanese Stateless Children.
The committee today includes representatives from six ministries directly involved in providing identification for children. It actively thrives to conduct awareness campaigns in various regions and through media outlets. The primary responsibility lies with parents, who must register their child immediately after birth with the civil registry after obtaining the required documents from the doctor, hospital, and mukhtar to obtain identification through standard administrative procedures.
Furthermore, she noted, “If the first year passes without registration due to negligence, ignorance, or marital disputes, among other reasons, the child can only obtain identification through a lawsuit before the civil single judge. This involves routine procedures such as DNA testing, establishing paternity, and presenting various other necessary documents.”
To conclude, Sleiman stated, “We have proposed the establishment of a connection between the Ministry of Interior, responsible for Lebanese civil registry offices, and the Ministry of Health, private hospitals, and mukhtars. This underscores the critical role of both the Association of Mukhtars in Beirut and Tripoli in ensuring the registration of children.”
