After one year from the ratification of the bylaw regarding the status of children with a foreign national father, not one person has managed to obtain an ID card.

UNICEF expert in birth registration in Iran, pointing to the approval of the bylaw regarding the status of children with an Iranian mother and foreign father last year, said: One of the difficulties in this law is that it has no implementation bylaw and the registration offices have not yet been notified.

Dr Negar Bayat said in an interview with the social reporter of ISNA: By the implementation of this law all children having an Iranian mother and a foreign father will have a provisional ID card until the age of 18, by which they can benefit from all social services.

He continued: According to this law, the children can apply for an ID document when they become 18 years old, but the problem is that the law has not still been communicated to the registration offices.

He continued: One of the difficulties in this law is that it has no implementation regulations and the registration offices have not yet been notified. On the other hand, determining a deadline of one year for application restricts the use of this bylaw.

According to Bayat this bylaw was prepared and sent to Majlis by the interior ministry, foreign ministry and the birth registration organisation.

He said: Currently when people apply for an ID card, a file is created for them and the necessary background checks will go on with the police, city councils and local affidavits.

According to this UNICEF expert in Iran, people should refer personally to the relevant centres in the birth registration offices.

He pointed to the fact that UNICEF could not enter executive procedures and said: UNICEF stands side by side the government to reach the determined goals. Currently when people apply for an ID card, a file is created for them and the necessary background checks will go on with the police, city councils and local affidavits.

Regarding the people not having an ID card, Bayat said: People have to go to the birth registry offices to obtain an ID card; because of this we do not have a correct statistics about those not having an ID card. UNICEF has no figures in this respect either and relies on governmental statistics.

Regarding the reason for the delay of families applying for an ID card said: In remote areas, an ID is needed when the child reaches the age of school and wants to enter the primary school and this is when the families apply for an ID card for their children.

The government incentives such as distribution of commodity vouchers and coupons are another ways of encouraging the families to apply for an ID card.

The UNICEF expert continued: Another group of children who have no ID cards are the children of foreign mothers and fathers.

He said: another reason for the non-registration of children is the non-registration of the marriages. Therefore the UNICEF in Iran decided to work on this subject with the help of the clergy and the women, to restore not only the rights of the women but also the rights of the children.

Note: Original article published in Persian by ISNA.
Translated for Payvand.com by BMarz translators: http://www.BMarz.com

... Payvand News - 01/25/08 ...