In recent years, a growing number of children born to unmarried mothers have found themselves caught in a legal limbo within the kingdom of saudi arabia The issue, largely invisible to the international community, stems from a complex mix of custodial laws, social norms, and administrative procedures that together create a near‑impossible. An investigation by the guardian has revealed that kenyan women who once worked as domestic helpers in saudi arabia are unable to leave the country, as their children, born outside marriage,. In saudi arabia, thousands of children born to kenyan mothers navigate life without official recognition or identity Among them is blessings iminza, who has endured eight years of statelessness, unable to return to kenya with her mother. A times investigation found that children are routinely deprived of birth certificates, medical care and education
Diplomats and police officers turned the mothers away. The mothers interviewed say they have made several attempts over the last two years to get help to leave saudi arabia and say the kenyan embassy refuses to process exit visas for kenyans who have 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.”
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