Dubai Police help three children abandoned by their father to get new passports

Gulf Today, Staff Reporter

The Dubai Police, represented by the Child and Women Protection Department in the General Department of Human Rights, has ended the suffering of three children who were deprived of education and healthcare for a year after their father abandoned them and their mother, taking their passports with him. 

The children, aged 3, 8, and 10, could not obtain replacement passports due to the consulate's refusal to carry out procedures without a written consent signed by both parents, who had ongoing custody disputes.

Colonel Dr Ali Muhammad Al Matrooshi, Director of the Child and Women Protection Department, stated that the mother had tried tirelessly for a year to find a solution and obtain identification papers for her three children through the consulate.

Still, the consulate repeatedly refused, citing its law that prohibits the issuance of a passport without a written consent signed by both parents.

During this time, the mother was unable to enrol her children in schools or provide them with health insurance due to the lack of identification papers.

When all other avenues failed, and she could not find a solution with the consulate, the mother sought help from 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. 

Given that 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 emphasized 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.