Concerned entities look into Syrian refugee marriage issues

AMMAN — Marriages among underage Syrian refugees is becoming a problem for authorities due to the fact that many Syrians do not register them, Brig. Gen. Wadah Hmoud, director of the Syrian refugee administration, said on Monday.

At a workshop organised by the Interior Ministry, in cooperation with UNHCR and the Chief Islamic Justice Department, Hmoud said the fact that Syrians avoid going through the necessary legal channels to register marriages creates a dilemma for Jordan when registering the offspring, who may end up without a nationality.

Jordan’s Personal Status Law sets the legal marriage age at 18.

Interior Minister Hussein Majali said undocumented Syrian marriages are not in line with Jordanian law, calling for solutions that do not violate human rights.

Civil Status and Passports Department Director Marwan Qteishat said around 10,000 babies are born every year to Syrian refugees, adding that there are no exact official figures.