MP. Wafa’ Bani Mustafa, the Chairwoman of the Parliamentary Bloc together with the members of the Parliamentary Initiative Bloc, met with Mr. Samir Mubaidin, the Minister of Interior and briefed him on a plan of action for positive engagement between the parliamentary bloc and the government. “We started forming committees with the government and working on different parts of positive engagement” Said MP. Wafa’.

She informed the Minister of the requirements related to providing facilities for the children of Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians in terms of service benefits, which includes education, where a number of education directorates not only insist on the identification card and birth certificate but also insist on bringing the father’s work permit. As well, some universities do not adhere to the decision of the Ministry of Higher Education to accept the children of Jordanian women on the parallel program and they continue accepting them on the international program.

As regards health, health centers treat the children of Jordanian women who have completed 18 years as foreign nationals. As regards obtaining a driver’s license, she demanded that this be done on the basis of the residence permit without requesting a number of identity papers and treating the children of Jordanian women as foreigners. She also demanded that children of Jordanian women be given the right to practice a profession and join unions. As well, she demanded adopting the identification card as an approved document to conduct banking transactions, allowing children of Jordanian women to donate blood, and circulating among border posts and crossing points to adopt the identification card of the children of Jordanian women, especially when accompanied by their parents in the treatment trips, Hajj, and Umrah. As for the bread subsidy, they face the inability to complete the transaction electronically in case of the mother’s death because the electronic system does not receive the national number of the deceased. Thus, they are deprived of their right in getting the subsidy, while the children of Gaza Strip, for example, can submit for subsidy separately according to a serial number. She pointed to the need to link the special register that contains the serial numbers and full information of the children of Jordanian women in the Civil Status Bureau with all of the state institutions, which will reduce the daily burdens and suffering for them. She concluded: “Jordan has reached unprecedented limits in facilitating the issues of the Syrians, but the children of Jordanians did not reach what the Syrians had reached. Thus, this privilege should be better given to the children of Jordanians.” She added: “With the recent decision of the Council of Ministers to give investors passports and national numbers, the children of the Jordanians should be viewed from a humanitarian and legal perspective and thus be given the same advantages.”

The Minister’s response was positive as he said: “We are committed to removing the obstacles facing the children of Jordanians and following up with them.” He pointed out that 76265 identification cards were issued and 218 complaints were received by a specialized committee. 56 of them were approved, 115 were rejected, and 15 of which are awaiting the completion of papers.

The Director of Nationality at the Ministry of Interior stressed that granting citizenship for investment purposes, includes the children of the Jordanians, and the applications can be submitted at the Jordanian Investment Commission. He said: “As of last week, 31 applications have been received, all of them have security clearance but have not yet been granted the nationality.”