Cases of children abandoned by parents have increased in UAE

Cases of children abandoned by parents have increased in UAE. Such children are cared for at hospitals and at the social welfare department. Police are searching for the parents of a baby girl who was found abandoned near a villa in Sharjah March 4. The 10-day old girl is recovering at Al Qasimi Hospital after she was found by a man who alerted the police on March 4. 

Naeemah Al Nakhi, head of the social services section at Al Qasimi Hospital said the infant, whose nationality is not known, was brought to the hospital with symptoms of cold and fever.She has recovered and is in perfect health now, the official said. “She was left in the open with not even a blanket to shield her from the elements. It could have led to her death, but she was saved in time,” said Al Nakhi.

Al Nakhi said the girl will spend two more days in the hospital and then be sent to the social welfare department. A file will be opened on her until her parents are found or she is handed to a new family for adoption. 

In January 2012, a 10-day-old baby boy was found abandoned in Al Dhaid. Two babies were found abandoned in Al Badea and Abu Shagara last December. 

Police are searching for the parents of a baby girl who was found abandoned near a villa in Sharjah on March 4. The 10-day old is recovering at Al Qasimi Hospital. 

Nobody’s Children  ??

From  Archives

18 January, 2012 - A ten-day-old baby boy was found abandoned last week on a street in Al Dhaid area, Sharjah Police said on Tuesday. This is the third incident in two months and police are searching for the parents. 

 Who are The Parents? 

Newborn found abandoned in Sharjah 

(2 June 2011, 10:23 PM; SHARJAH : A three-day-old girl was found abandoned on Wednesday by the Sharjah Police in a building under construction in Al Zubair.The baby was placed in a cardboard box and wrapped in a blanket. Clothes and a feeding bottle were kept beside the child, who was sick, tired and dehydrated, the police said) 

Mother of  a  abandoned  baby held

(26 May 2011, 10:24 PM : The mother of a baby boy found abandoned in a garbage pile near a mosque on the Al Kuwait Hospital Street here a month ago has been arrested, the police confirmed on Tuesday.)

Baby abandoned near mosque in RAK

( 26 April 2011, 12:04 AMAn infant was found abandoned near a mosque on the Al Kuwait Hospital Street in Ras Al Khaimah, police confirmed here on Monday. Residents called the police on Sunday evening after finding the baby boy near a mosque. ‘‘He was crying,’’ said Major Marwan Jikka Al Mansouri, head of the Public Relations and Moral Guidance Department at the RAK Police.)

Mystery of two abandoned babies solved

(4 August 2010, 10:56 PM Sharjah:  They were found on the same day: two babies, wrapped in blankets and placed in cardboard boxes outside of a Sharjah mosque.For a long time police were baffled by the case. But a five-month investigation that led to the arrest of the parents uncovered a final twist to their story.The two children were, in fact, unrelated.)

Newborn found left in a bag in Khor Kalba 

(28 June 2010, 6:25 AM Just a day after a month-old baby girl was found abandoned in Ajman, a newborn girl was found wrapped in a garment and placed in a bag near a house in Khor Kalba.Police said the baby was born only 12 hours before being found abandoned and was doing fine.The man living in the house heard the baby’s cry at dawn and peered out of the house. As he tracked the cry he was surprised to find the infant in the bag with her tiny head sticking out.) 

Another baby abandoned in Ajman 

( 27 June 2010, 06:00 AM : Another abandoned baby was found in Ajman on Saturday — the second such case reported from the emirate this year.The nationality of the child has not been revealed yet. Police are looking for the parents of the month-old infant girl, who was found crying at the entrance of a mosque.)

Unwanted babies, wanted mothers 

( 27 June 2010, 6:26 AM They are no one’s babies. Abandoned and left to survive on others goodwill. Six such cases were reported this year alone. )

Twice Abandoned, Alone Again 

( 27 June 2010, 6:25 AM DUBAI - Sad but true. A 20-year-old woman, abandoned by her biological parents as an infant, has been abandoned again. Now her adoptive family does not want her as it has fallen on bad times. Moreover, some members have set up homes of their own.) 

18 December, 2011 - The Sharjah Police are searching for the parents of a newborn baby boy, who was found abandoned near an under-construction building in Al Badea area in Sharjah.

12 December, 2011: - A newborn baby, found abandoned in the Abu Shaghara area of Sharjah last month, was handed over to the Sharjah Department of Social Services by Al Qasimi Hospital.

25 November 2011: A new-born baby of a few days was found abandoned by the Sharjah Police in the Abu Shagarah area.

30 October 2011: Mother of a newborn baby boy was arrested by the Ras Al Khaimah Police after the body of the baby was found abandoned in a garbage bag in the trash container.

2 June 2011: A three-day-old girl was found abandoned by the Sharjah Police in a building under construction in Al Zubair.

26 April 2011: An infant was found abandoned near a mosque on the Al Kuwait Hospital Street in Ras Al Khaimah. 

28 June 2010: Just a day after a month-old baby girl was found abandoned in Ajman, a newborn girl was found wrapped in a garment and placed in a bag near a house in Khor Kalba.

27 June 2010: A month-old infant girl was found at the entrance of a mosque in Ajman.

March 2, 2010: Two well-dressed baby boys, wrapped in blankets and placed in cardboard boxes, found at the entrance of a mosque in Sharjah 

Feb 14, 2010: Seven-day-old girl found abandoned at the door of a mosque in Jazeera Al Hamra area of Ras Al Khaimah

Feb16, 2010: Newborn girl abandoned by parents found at a mosque in Dubai’s Naif area

Feb 7, 2010: Three-month-old girl found abandoned at the Ajman Corniche

Feb 1, 2010: Boy abandoned in Al Sahabah Mosque, Sharjah

Criteria Of Adoption  in UAE 

1)  The Children’s Welfare Committee scrutinises applications for adoption and select prospective ‘parents’ based on their social and economic status.

2) The age of the wife should not be less than 25 and not more than 45 .The family should undertake that they will provide care to the children and the court should issue them a no-objection certificate (NOC).

3)Only permanent UAE residents can adopt abandoned children.

The Ministry of Social Affairs said in some cases, the ministry has the right to give the child to unmarried, divorced or widowed women whose age is not less than 30, or more than 50.

The foster family has the right to give the first name, while the judge will give the father’s, family and tribe name.

The documents issued to the child should not show that he or she is an illegitimate child. 

Once adopted, the children will bear the name of the adopting father in all records. 

After a child is handed over to a family, social services staff will visit the child frequently. These visits can drop to once a year until the child has turned six.

During the follow up, if a problem is noticed in the care of the child, the adoption is cancelled, but if the child is in good hands, the family is allowed to renew the adoption contract.

Legally speaking...
According to UAE law, an abandoned child can gain citizenship based on Article 17 of 1972
This was amended in1975 which says the abandoned child would be a UAE national
A draft of 2009 law is in the process and will be submitted to the cabinet
The draft law calls to establish shelters for kids and lays down conditions for alternative families and obligations of federal and local departments concerned
Foster families should inform the children of their adopted status only after permission from the social affairs department.
An Indian Neel, holding UAE residence visa EXPRESSED wish to adopt the girl.  Source: Khaleej Times