Groups oppose plan to stop issuing birth certificates to offspring of foreigners
Centre for Child Law and Lawyers for Human Rights urge department of home affairs not to introduce regulations whereby children of foreigners will not be issued with birth certificates
The department of home affairs’ plan to discontinue issuing birth certificates to children of foreigners has come under fire from lobby groups who argue that it is in contravention of international laws. Where previously all new babies were issued with birth certificates, as is required by the constitution and international law on children’s rights, the new regulations propose that foreign children be issued with a mere “confirmation of birth” that is “not a birth certificate”, according to the new form. They will then send the confirmation to their embassies or countries of origin for birth certificates. The department has published these proposed new regulations to the Births and Deaths Registration Act for public comment. The deadline for the comments is Friday. The lobby groups, including the Centre for Child Law and Lawyers for Human Rights, said on Thursday that in terms of international law, it is the responsibility of the country of birth to issue a birth certificate. This i...
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