Lebanese women call for right to pass nationality to children

Dozens of protesters took to the streets in the capital Beirut on Sunday, calling for the rights of Lebanese women to pass their nationality to their children.

"The children of Lebanese women are facing huge challenges to get the Lebanese nationality," said a woman.

Currently, Lebanon's nationality law does not allow Lebanese women married to foreign men to pass their nationality to their children, though Lebanese men married to foreign women can do so.

The inability of Lebanese mothers to pass their nationality to their spouses and children has a negative impact on the entire family.

Spouses and children must constantly renew residency and work permits and pay related fees in order to live and work legally in Lebanon.

Their children are considered residents but not citizens and they are denied the rights enjoyed by Lebanese nationals to public education, healthcare, employment and membership of professional bodies.

Several laws with regard to this issue were proposed before, but rejected.

The most recent suggestion was submitted by the National Commission for Lebanese Women, which is headed by Claudine Aoun Roukoz, a daughter of President Michel Aoun.