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Lebanese perceptions of citizenship rights for children of Lebanese mothers and Palestinian fathers: a cross-sectional survey

2017; Elsevier BV; Volume: 390; Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/s0140-6736(17)32058-5

1474-547X

Sawsan Abdulrahim, Dalia Mikdashi, Zeinab Cherri,

International Human Rights and Reproductive Law

BackgroundNationality in Lebanon is conveyed through patrilineal descent, depriving the children of women married to foreigners from citizenship rights, legal protections, and health and social services. Children of Palestinian fathers are especially excluded because they become stateless. Calls to remove gender discrimination from the Lebanese nationality law are often stymied by the Lebanese fear of naturalising a large number of Palestinians. We examined whether this fear extends to prevention of Lebanese women married to Palestinian men from conferring their nationality on their children.MethodsThe study was based on mixed qualitative (13 focus group discussions, each of which included 8–15 Lebanese participants of similar age, socioeconomic status, and political orientation) and quantitative data (a survey of 450 adult Lebanese citizens, 41·4% men and 58·6% women, who resided in Greater Beirut) collected in 2011. Focus group data were analysed using open and thematic coding. Survey data were used to test the hypothesis that Lebanese public perceptions are in fact in favour of granting citizenship to children of women married to Palestinian men.FindingsQualitative findings highlighted that the Lebanese see Palestinian men as undesirable husbands and fathers, mainly because of legal restrictions that could cause hardships to women and their children. Survey data, however, suggested strong public support overall for granting Lebanese women married to Palestinian men the right to confer citizenship on their children. Women were significantly more supportive compared with men; 84·5% of women replied that they agreed or strongly agreed with the policy versus 74·2% of men (χ2=15·70, p=0·003). This high level of support was consistent across sociodemographic categories and was not influenced by strength of identification with religion or sect. The children's right to citizenship received stronger public support than all other rights (eg, employment).InterpretationOur findings suggest that Lebanese public opinion supports Lebanese women's right to confer nationality on their children even if the child's father is Palestinian. Support for gender equality in citizenship seems to override anti-Palestinian prejudice in relation to the wellbeing of the children of Lebanese women.FundingData collection for the study was supported by a grant from the Issam Fares Institute for Public Policy and International Affairs at the American University of Beirut.