A new law in the UAE now mandates couples who bore children out of wedlock to take full responsibility of the child and remain in the country without risk of deportation.
President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has approved a new law that effectively decriminalizes consensual relationships out of wedlock, providing that any child conceived as a result of the relationship is acknowledged and will be cared for.
“Any couple conceiving a child out of wedlock will be required to marry or singly or jointly acknowledge the child and provide identification papers and travel documents in accordance with the laws of the country of which either is a national, considering the applicable laws of that nation,” read the announcement from Emirates News Agency (WAM).
RELATED STORY: UAE adopts largest legislative reform in its history
Couples who fail to acknowledge the child’s origins would face a criminal case and would be liable to a prison term of two years for both correspondents.
This new law forms part of a wide-ranging reform of the country’s legal system, which aims to strengthen economic, investment and commercial opportunities, in addition to maximizing social stability, security and ensuring the rights of both individuals and institutions.
