KATHMANDU: Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak stated that the proposed amendment to the Citizenship Act, 2006, aims to recognize mothers as the primary guardians of their children by granting them the right to declare and assume full responsibility for their child’s citizenship.
Speaking during the theoretical discussions on the Nepal Citizenship Bill at the Legislation Management Committee under the National Assembly, Minister Lekhak clarified that the Bill’s goal is to ensure mothers have the full right to pass citizenship to their children if they declare that the father cannot be identified or presented.
He said the provision does not give exclusive rights to mothers and includes legal inquiry and penalties if a mother’s declaration is found to be false.
The Minister pointed out that many children currently face significant challenges in education and career development due to lack of citizenship documentation.
Regarding naturalized citizenship, the Bill requires a mother’s declaration confirming that her child has not acquired foreign citizenship through the father. Currently, only the applicant for naturalized citizenship is required to make such a declaration.
Under existing law, a child born to a Nepali woman married to a foreign citizen may be granted naturalized citizenship provided the child has not acquired foreign citizenship from the father.
The Bill also simplifies procedures for a child to obtain citizenship in the mother’s name when the father is deceased, unwilling to support the child’s citizenship process, or remarried.
Minister Lekhak further reminded the committee of the Supreme Court’s directive urging the government to ensure citizenship issuance in the mother’s name.
Comment