“I asked my father to agree with the allegation that I was not his son and that I was an illegitimate child for my mother to register me on her name as an illegitimate child so that I can obtain Lebanese citizenship, work and travel like other Lebanese,” said Elie, a son of a Lebanese woman married to non-registered person “Maktoum al-Qaid”. “My father didn’t register me on his record in Syria, and I don’t know anything about him,” said Jad, a son of a Lebanese woman married to a Syrian. I don’t want the Syrian nationality but rather the Lebanese citizenship because I am a Lebanese son, and I was born and has lived in Lebanon. I prefer to wait for a law granting Lebanese women the right to pass on their nationality to their children rather than acquiring any other nationality. Sobhia, a Lebanese woman married to a foreigner, said: My husband left me two months after my marriage while I was pregnant. I gave birth to my son, who is now five years old. I don’t know anything about my husband, and I don’t have a copy of his passport. I registered my son as an illegitimate child to have an identity card and nationality and to be able to enter school. I’m sick of my life, and I want to secure my son. Numbers and statistics The National Commission for Lebanese Women sent official requests to the following national institutions: nationality of the husband and/or his denomination and sect, the denomination and sect of the wife. • Number of marriages concluded between Lebanese men and foreign women, with the place of marriage indicated, nationality, denomination and sect of the Lebanese husband and foreign wife. • Number of marriages concluded between Lebanese women and Palestinians registered with the Directorate General of Political Affairs and Refugees. • Number of marriages concluded between Lebanese and Palestinian women registered with the Directorate General of Personal Status by regions, indicating denomination and sect of both spouses. The response of the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities stated that it is impossible to respond to the National Commission for Lebanese Women with statistical information and data on marriages concluded between Lebanese and foreigners — males and females — from 1995 to date since they do not have electronic archives dating back to 1995 and all previous years. However, they have started to work on digitizing their archives in recent years. The Directorate General of Personal Status also indicated that non-digitized archives are distributed in the Personal Status Registries that do not have adequate facilities to store archives dating back to 1995. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic, staff members are overwhelmed in ensuring the proper functioning of citizens’ transactions and preparing the electoral lists simultaneously. In addition to the above, the National Commission for Lebanese Women sent a second memorandum to the Ministry of Interior and Municipalities — Directorate of Personal Status requesting that it be provided with the statistical data available to it on marriages between Lebanese and foreigners, regardless of their dates. To date, however, the National Commission for Lebanese Women has not received any response from the Directorate General for Personal Status, which is an indication of the following: • Absence of any clear desire or intention on the part of the Directorate General of Personal Status to provide any figures or statistics on marriages between Lebanese and foreigners may be for political reasons and because the interests of the Ministry do not intersect with the draft law on Lebanese women passing on their citizenship to their children prepared and submitted by the said body. • Failure of the Directorate of Personal Status to hand over to the National Commission for Lebanese Women the figures and statistics available to it on marriages concluded between Lebanese and foreigners violates the principle of transparency and the right of access to information. • Lack of digitization in the Directorate of Personal Status except for recent years and in the absence of accurate statistics and figures on marriages between Lebanese and foreigners prompts us to question the basis on which prior decisions and concerns of a segment of politicians and decision-makers regarding Lebanese women passing on their citizenship to their children. Ministry of Interior and Municipalities - Directorate of Personal Status and Directorate of Refugee Affairs, aimed at obtaining 18 • Number of marriages concluded in Lebanon between Lebanese women and foreigners registered with the Directorate General of Personal Status from 1995 to date by regions, indicating the nationality of spouses — their denomination and sect, denomination and sect of the wife, and the reference for conducting marriage contracts. • Number of marriages concluded between Lebanese women and foreigners outside Lebanese territory and registered at the Directorate General of Personal Status and/or the Directorate General of Political Affairs and Refugees in Lebanon, whether religious or civil marriage with mentioning: the country where the marriage was concluded, the