Migrant mothers trapped in Saudi Arabia with stateless children
An investigation by The Guardian, on December 18, 2024, has revealed that Kenyan women who were previously employed as domestic helpers in Saudi Arabia cannot leave the country, as their children, are deemed “stateless.” According to Middle East monitor, this means they are denied access to any birth certificates or legal documentation, due to children being born outside of marriage. This stops them being issued with exit visas and may prevent access to even basic rights such as school and healthcare.
Five women interviewed in The Guardian gave troubling accounts of fleeing abuse at the hands employers who confiscated their own identity documents. Any children born to these women, during relationships with fellow migrant workers, are then unregistered as Saudi Arabia criminalises sex outside marriage. In some cases this has led to the prosecution and imprisonment of these mothers.
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One of the five interviewed recalled being denied medical assistance during her labour in Riyadh. “They said they would send me to jail if I didn’t bring [the necessary] documents. I was so afraid to go to jail with labour pains. I pretended like I was strolling around the hospital.”
The woman was subsequently forced to leave the hospital, meaning she then had to give birth alone in her home herself. Her 8-year-old son has never been able to attend school, due to his resulting undocumented status.
In April 2024, she was part of a rare public protest in Riyadh, along with other migrant mothers of undocumented children. The demonstration has especial significance in a country where there is no right to publicly protest, with this being punishable with prison time.
Middle East Monitor, The Guardian
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