Rights for all - Mandatory DNA tests proposed for children of unknown parentage

Mandatory DNA tests for children of unknown parentage are before Parliament, with a central DNA database proposed to help match children to their biological parents and restore access to basic documents and services. The measure would require testing as soon as a child is found, under the supervision of state bodies, and the results would be compared with records of missing persons and related cases. The plan has been filed as a recommendatory proposal by MP Hassan Ebrahim and has been sent to the specialised committee.

Views

Relevant ministries are expected to submit their views before the Council considers the matter for a vote. Under the text, the Ministries of Interior, Social Development and Health would design and run a mandatory DNA-testing system for all cases involving children of unknown parentage and establish a central registry to store results. The proposal states that this may, in some instances, confirm identity and family ties and, in turn, unlock legal, social and human rights linked to name and status. Ebrahim said the move draws on constitutional guarantees that speak to justice, social care, health and equal opportunity.

He said many children of unknown parentage spend their early years in care without learning who their parents are and later face hurdles when applying for essential documents such as a smart ID card or passport, which can block routes into university, work and independent life. He added that the Ministry of Social Development provides housing and support but said those services do not by themselves resolve the issue of identity and belonging raised by these cases. The text frames DNA testing and a central database as a lawful method, built with privacy safeguards and in line with Sharia-based rules, to help establish identity in some cases.

Identity

According to the submission, the aim is to move from care alone to a wider justice-based approach that recognises identity so that rights can be granted in full, eases psychological and social strain, and clears the way to official documents and ordinary daily life. Procedurally, the file remains with the competent committee for study. Once the ministries provide their assessments, the Council will decide on next steps.