Al-Rahi Urges State to Grant Expats Right to Regain Citizenship

Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi demanded on Monday authorities to grant Lebanese expatriates the nationality, describing it as an “urgent” matter.

“Despite the difficulties that the country is passing through, granting the Lebanese expats the nationality is an important and urgent matter,” al-Rahi said during a meeting with the representatives of the Maronite Foundation in the World.

He demanded Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, who was present at the Bkirki meeting, to give the case the required attention by increasing the number of Lebanese diplomatic missions.

Al-Rahi wondered about the fate of the draft-law for people of Lebanese origin to regain nationality.

For his part, Bassil vowed to prioritize the issue and tackle it during talks with Speaker Nabih Berri.

Lebanese law prevents giving the citizenship to the children of a Lebanese mother if the father was a foreigner.

However, the cabinet of former Prime Minister Najib Miqati approved in 2011 a draft-law to regain the Lebanese nationality by applying to the citizenship.

The draft-law was referred to the parliament for discussion but it's still waiting for lawmakers to endorse it.

The cabinet’s green light to give the citizenship to Lebanese expatriates would pave way for their participation in the parliamentary elections if a new law adopted by the government Okays the voting at Lebanese embassies abroad.