Nationality Recognising Morocco's children

[LalaMimi]

HM King Mohamed VI's Jul. 30 announcement that Moroccan women will be able to transmit their nationality to children born of non-Moroccan fathers should bring much needed relief in Morocco and abroad, despite criticism that the reform, once again, had to come from the King, not the government.

In 1992, Rita* and her children fled the rising terror in Algeria to start a new life in Morocco. A Moroccan, she felt a strong urge to return to her native country after the death of her Algerian husband. They quickly found a house, and her daughter found a job. A few days later, the police were at their door: they were expelled from Morocco in the wake of the Marrakech terrorist attack.

Rita was not the one targeted by the expulsion orders, but she had to stay with her children who did not have Moroccan nationality.

Rita's story is only one of the numerous tragedies generated by Moroccan women's legal incapacity to transmit their nationality to their children.

All these women saw their horizon brighten when HM King Mohamed VI, announced his decision Saturday in Tangier, on the occasion of the sixth anniversary of his accession to the throne.

“To illustrate my keen, constant desire to address the real concerns of Moroccans - in Morocco and abroad - and to fulfil their legitimate, understandable aspirations, I have decided, in my capacity as King and Amir Al Muminin (Commander of the Faithful), that a child born to a Moroccan mother shall have the right to obtain Moroccan citizenship,” he said.

Until then, Moroccan nationality could only be transmitted by the father, except when he was unknown, but then, the word “bastard” is written on their official documents.

Even those who tried to apply for Moroccan nationality found it very hard to obtain it. In addition to having to stay in Morocco for five years, applicants had to put up with extremely slow administrative procedures.

P.M. Perez applied for the Moroccan nationality in 2000. Obtaining it should have been easy for him as his family has been living in Morocco for three generations, but all he was told over the years was that the commission in charge of delivering nationalities had not met yet.

His daughters' situation was much worse. “We were very worried about our daughters,” said Soraya, his Moroccan wife. Since her husband could not transmit his British nationality to them as the UK law does not grant the British nationality to the fourth generation of Britons living abroad.

Neither child could have their father's British nationality, nor could they have their mother's.

The couple had to wait until their daughters' 18th birthday to apply for the Moroccan nationality.

Now, they are awaiting the official publication of the new nationality law in order to apply for the Moroccan nationality.

In the meantime, the only document stating their existence is a birth certificate. Therefore, they are deprived of basic rights, such as having a passport or going to university.

Things are just as difficult for those who inherited their father's nationality as they cannot study in university or even marry without an official authorization from their embassy.

As for those living abroad, their main problems would start when travelling to Morocco. Mothers would need an authorization from their country of residence to take their children to Morocco. Children would also need a separate passport - since they could not be registered on their mother's, and a visa. Once at the frontier, they would have to queue at the foreigners' windows…

The situation of the children of Moroccan mothers is already difficult in itself. It can become much worse in case of problems between the parents: some divorced women find themselves helpless when their husbands decide to go to another country with their children: the children being foreigners, the Moroccan state can do nothing about them.

Other cases are just as tragic. For years, Fatima* has been living practically as a prisoner in a farm near Strasbourg (France). She wanted to return home to Meknès, but did not want to abandon her children, who had French nationality. Her husband would tease her, saying: “I know that you will end up leaving me anyway, but your children will stay here.”

Despite the fact that there is general agreement on the importance of HM King Mohamed VI's decision, many criticize the fact that, once again, this crucial ruling had to come from him, and not from the government.

But then, the agonizing time it took the Moroccan Commission in charge of the reform of the Moudawana under the El Youssoufi government showed how undecided Morocco's political class can be when it comes to such sensitive issues.

The Commission, appointed by the late king Hassan II, went through ups and downs since 1998, and the debate was not really facilitated by the fact that most of the Commission members were…men.

Finally, the debate became extremely heated, leading to a confrontation between female activists and members of the conservative parties.

The final decision was taken by HM King Mohamed VI in 2003. Being “Amir Al Mouminine”, he had the religious and the temporal powers to take the final decision.


*The names of these women have been changed to protect their identity.

[Ahlam_2005]

Thats indeed a gr8 news for moroccon women. I want to know wot is the law for the foreigner father of this child...can he acquire the moroccon nationality so he can live with his wife and children and avoid the procedures of visa and prolongment of visas.In egypt the egyptian woman can trasnmit her nationality to her foreigh husband.

I think this king has always brougth good reforms for the betterment of either sexes.

[rico1]

How long it will take to get moroccan nationality from a marriage ( to a moroccan women)? thanks........