This story illustrates another legal barbarity (see below), but also that some sanity has finally prevailed. Here a baby born on June 30 was technically left stateless because his parents were unmarried. From July 1, however, the father’s status as a parent is recognised.
Under Section 9 of the Nationality Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, which came into force this month, children born to unmarried parents can take their nationality from their father.
Mr Poole said: “You don’t have to get permission to be in any EU country any more, but all the old laws to do with your child’s nationality still applied until now.
“Fathers had no status or rights unless they were husbands too, so it’s good they have changed the law, but they should take consideration of people like Leo who have already been caught out. It’s outrageous.â€
The next step must surely be to make this retrospective. I know some people affected by this, and they might be forced at some stage, against their principles, to marry, which is ludicrous. There surely must be the possibility of a human rights case in this.
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