The state of being stateless

Just yesterday, I read in the papers about two young sisters, aged 6 and 2.5 years old, who are considered stateless because they do not have birth certificates, meaning their parents have not registered their births. In other words, they are considered illegal or perhaps non-existence in the eyes of the law.
But these girls are very much alive and living an almost normal childhood with their maternal grandmother. Though showered with much love from grandma, these kids however do not get proper immunization and now, cannot go to school because of their lack of documents.

The grassroots leaders who were tracking kids that are supposed to attend preschools but are not, found these kids. And together with their MP were shocked to hear that such cases still exist today in affluent Singapore. Now, they are trying their best to get these kids in school and proper documentation. The problems are, they do not know the identity of the first child’s father. They knew of the second child’s father, however, the jailed mother because of subutex abused is married to a third husband, who is around but does not have biological rights over these kids.

Now I am thinking aloud, not to offend any parties, but just thinking aloud, as loud as Flying Dutchman and Glen Ong always do during their morning express shows.

When these girls went to the polyclinics with their grandma or mother for immunization, and couldn’t produce their birth certificates, why didn’t the staff there suspect something? Even if they feel they couldn’t barge into domestic affairs, but considering that this non-BC issue can lead to serious implications for the future of the children, why didn’t anyone sound the alarm in their earlier years?

Once, I came across a stateless adult. I was told that he was stateless, not that I know he was or wasn’t. His parents that adopted him were both dead, and he was then fending for himself. As he did not have any form of identification, he was not able to get decent work except working at a charitable organization doing some cleaning and housekeeping work, enough to get by for food and rent of a one room flat. He was a young man, he looked decent and of a marriageable age. But I wondered, what happened if he falls really sick, or that he intends to get married? What happens just because he did not have a BC or IC?

It’s so unthinkable to think that despite being real in the flesh, in the eyes of the law, he did not exist. I think what the authorities want is to safeguard against abuses whereby immigrants, illegal or not, can use such an instances to gain residency status in the country.

But then, these young children should not be punished for the crimes of their parents, even if the real father of the first daughter be found not to be Singaporean. I mean what harm does it do to give the child the right of identity?

I wish them well, and wish that they grow up to be good citizens of the world.