Gov’t sets 48-hour deadline to process documents of children of women married to non-Jordanians

AMMAN — The Council of Ministers on Monday instructed concerned authorities to process official documentations of the children of Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians within 48 hours, in line with previous Cabinet decisions and the recommendations of the concerned ministerial committee.

The call was made during a Cabinet meeting, headed by Prime Minister Hani Mulki, on government services granted to Jordanian women married to foreigners, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.

Attending ministers noted the importance of facilitating the provision of services to the children of these Jordanian women, especially when issuing residency permits, applying for driving licences and real estate ownership, as well as availing of benefits in the educational, health, labour and investment sectors.

By December 2015, the Civil Status and Passports Department (CSPD) had issued 56,000 identification certificates to the children of Jordanian women married to foreigners.

In 2014, the government announced that it was granting the children certain “privileges”.

The “privileges” are granted provided that their mothers have been living in Jordan for a minimum of five years, for at least 180 days every year, according to the CSPD.

Government officials have previously stated that there are 88,983 Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians, mostly Gazans, and that these families have 355,932 children registered with the CSPD.

Palestinians, except for Gazans, who became refugees after the creation of Israel on and those who were living in the West Bank when it was occupied by Israel in 1967, have been given Jordanian citizenship.