Parliament Opposes Granting Citizenship to 'Children of Iranian Women and Foreign Men'

On Sunday, October 5, Iranian parliament representatives opposed the proposal to grant citizenship to children born from marriages between Iranian women and foreign men, as well as to children of non-Iranian martyrs, with 74 votes in favor, 84 against, and 12 abstentions out of 198 total votes. If passed, the proposal would have allowed children of Iranian women married to foreign men to acquire Iranian citizenship after being born and residing in Iran for five years, provided they had no 'security background' or 'effective criminal conviction' upon reaching 18 years of age. According to the state news agency IRNA, Hossein Ali Amiri, Deputy Minister of Interior, argued against the proposal, stating that it would create 'security, political, and social' issues for the country and lead to increased immigration to Iran. Nader Qazipour, a representative from Urmia, emphasized the 'security consequences' of the proposal, asserting that 'we must keep Iran Iranian and not allow a non-Iranian to participate in elections; we must preserve the sanctity of Iran.' However, Mohammad Dehghan, a representative from Chenaran, described granting identification to children of Iranian women who marry foreign men as a 'humanitarian action.' In 2006, the Iranian parliament had passed a law allowing children born from marriages between Iranian women and foreign men, who were born in Iran or within one year of the law's enactment, to apply for Iranian citizenship upon reaching 18. Reports indicate that since 2007, after the deadline set by this law expired, children of Iranian women married to foreign men have lost the opportunity to apply for Iranian citizenship. The proposed plan also mandated the Iranian Foreign Ministry to issue citizenship documents for parents, spouses, and children of 'non-Iranian martyrs' after five years of residence in Iran, contingent upon approval from the General Staff of the Armed Forces, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or the Ministry of Intelligence. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior opposed this section of the proposal, stating that the Martyrs Foundation currently addresses the issues of those who serve the goals of the Islamic Revolution within the framework of national regulations. According to Mr. Amiri, there are over 230 cases in the Ministry of Interior regarding 'non-Iranian martyrs.' In April, Hossein Naqvi Hosseini, a member of the National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, announced that a proposal was being reviewed in this commission to grant citizenship to non-Iranian fighters and veterans. Following the escalation of conflicts in Syria, numerous reports have emerged regarding the deaths of Afghan nationals residing in Iran during these conflicts. Reports indicate that the 'Fatemiyoun Brigade,' composed of Afghan military personnel, is currently fighting in Syria to defend Bashar al-Assad's regime. Meanwhile, the website Tabnak previously reported that 200 members of this brigade were killed in internal battles in Syria. Additionally, the Wall Street Journal had reported that Iran was 'hiring' thousands of Afghan refugees to fight in Syria in support of Bashar al-Assad's government by 'paying $500 a month and granting residency permits in Iran.' Iranian officials have denied this report and similar claims.