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Dubai: Expat abandons 3 kids, takes their passports; police help them get identification papers

They could not be enrolled into school or get healthcare since they could not obtain replacement documents

Published: Tue 11 Apr 2023, 2:58 PM

Updated: Tue 11 Apr 2023, 10:40 PM

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File photo

The Dubai Police have helped three children aged 10 and below who were left without identification and healthcare after their father abandoned them and their mother, taking their passports with him.

Colonel Dr. Ali Muhammad Al Matrooshi, Director of the Child and Women Protection Department, said that the mother had tried tirelessly to obtain identification for her children, aged 3, 8, and 10, but was unable to do so since her consulate needed signatures of both parents to get replacement passports.

Because of this, she was unable to enrol them in school or provide them with health insurance. When all avenues failed, she turned to the Child Oasis in the General Department of Human Rights at the Dubai Police General HQ.

Colonel Al Matrooshi explained that Article 11 of Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on the Child Rights Law, aka "Wadeema", both parents or those with legal authority over a child are required to obtain documents proving the child's birth, nationality, and other identification papers in accordance with the laws of the state.

Since the mother obtained a court ruling from the appropriate jurisdiction in Dubai that granted her custody of her children, Dubai Police reached Dubai Courts for a court order to issue passports for the three children, in cooperation with the consulate.

Colonel Al Matrooshi emphasised that the UAE law guarantees a child's right to identity, allowing the child to have an independent entity and identity like everyone else in society, including a name, family, date of birth, nationality, and access to protection, rights, and services from their home country.

He pointed out the various communication channels through which anyone can report child rights violations, including the Women and Child Protection Service on the Dubai Police website, the Dubai Police smart app, by calling 901, and by seeking help at the Child Oasis at the main HQ in Al Tawar.

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