KUWAIT CITY, March 19: The General Department for Citizenship and Passport Affairs intends to increase the age requirement for granting citizenship to children whose parents are unknown from 18 to 21, reports Al-Watan Arabic daily quoting Director of the Family Welfare Department at the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor Bader Al-Awadhi.

Al-Awadhi admitted the ministries of Interior and Health have disagreements over the issue, so the concerned authorities need to conduct a comprehensive study prior to the approval of the proposal. He revealed one of the points of contention is the naturalization of this group according to Article Five of the Citizenship Law, instead of Article One.

According to Al-Awadhi, the Family Welfare Department is in charge of 1,500 orphans - 956 of them are under the direct care of the ministry, while the rest are staying with Kuwaiti families. He said the ministry has started preparations for the Arab Orphan Day, which will be held from April 17-21 under the slogan, “Our Orphans are in Our Hearts”. He added Minister Dr Mohammad Al-Afasi will patronize the event with the participation of representatives from the Public Authority for Minors Affairs (PAMA) and other specialized authorities in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He revealed the program will include seminars in which lecturers will discuss issues concerning the orphans. 

In another development, Al-Awadhi confirmed the ministry will soon establish a voluntary work section in the Social Care Department according to the recommendation of Assistant Undersecretary for Social Care Affairs Dr Jassem Ashakani. He explained the section will provide volunteer workers to various departments in the ministry, if the need arises.

Meanwhile, the Director of Central Births and Deaths Documentation Department Rashid Al-Azmi recently announced that guardians of Bedoun children who are 6 years old could visit the Committee of Kinship and Lawsuits to apply for their birth certificates, reports Al-Anba daily.

In a statement, Al-Azmi noted that Bedouns below 6 years old will be registered on the spot, indicating the department will start receiving applicants by Sunday, March 20.