‘36,900 IDs issued to children of Jordanian women married to foreigners’

AMMAN — The Civil Status and Passports Department (CSPD) has issued 36,900 identification cards for children of Jordanian women married to foreigners since the beginning of the year, an official said Tuesday.

As of Monday evening, the department had received 47,600 applications to issue the special identification cards, CSPD Spokesperson Malek Khasawneh said.

The IDs help their holders obtain driving licences and benefit from other government services such as free healthcare and education, as well as being able to get work permits, own property and invest in Jordan.

Last year, the government announced that it was granting children of Jordanian women married to foreigners certain privileges and facilities to ease their lives.

The privileges are granted provided that their mothers have been residing in Jordan for a minimum of five years, including 180 days every year, CSPD Director Marwan Qteishat said in previous remarks to The Jordan Times.

The Interior Ministry established an ombudsman committee, headed by the assistant of the citizenship director, to follow up on any complaint from applicants regarding procedures at the department. 

Government officials have said in the past that there are 88,983 Jordanian women married to non-Jordanians and these families have 355,932 children registered with the CSPD.