Lebanon

Multiple treaty bodies have expressed concern that Lebanon’s 1925 Nationality Act does not allow Lebanese women to confer their nationality to children or foreign spouses. Lebanon said that the question of whether to reform its nationality law was a “source of conflicting opinions among the various political parties” and that, in 2012, a committee was established to consider amending its 1925 law. Many Lebanese women are married to Syrian and Palestinian men living in Lebanon. Due to the regional displacement crisis, this introduces a risk of child statelessness if the father is unavailable or unable to confer his nationality. The Lebanese government issues migration permits for children born in Lebanon to Lebanese mothers and foreign fathers. In 2022 CEDAW noted a draft law aimed at recognizing the right of Lebanese women to transmit nationality to their children. The committee expressed concern that Lebanon maintained its reservations about equal rights with respect to the nationality of children and equality in marriage and family relations.