Stateless rush to claim citizenship

More than 7,000 application forms were distributed to stateless people on the first day of citizenship registration.

Marwan Adullh and Mohammad Ulam went to the Al Taawun Mall in Sharjah to register as residents of the United Arab Emirates.

More than 7,000 application forms were handed out to the stateless people known as bidoon yesterday on the first day of registration for them to become Emirati citizens. Many queued for hours for the chance to gain citizenship of a country they have called home for decades, or even their whole lives. Some, however, were turned away and told to come back today after registration centres ran out of application forms or did not receive them in time.

Some officials resorted to taking electronic applications rather than send away people who had travelled from other emirates. Police said the problems stemmed partly from personal rivalries within some families, whose members refused to register together and insisted on separate application forms, despite being told that only one would be available for each family. "There was a shortage of forms at all four registration centres due to the fact that some were taking more forms than they needed to," said Brig Gen Nasser al Minhali, head of the Naturalisation and Residency Department.

He said there was extreme pressure at the registration area in Sharjah, where 2,700 people registered. Almost 2,000 bidoon registered in Dubai, while the Abu Dhabi centre handled 1,746 people. "I predicted there would be a commotion, which is why I wanted to be on time," said Marwan Abdullah, 42, a father of five. "This would change everything for us and for our children," said Rashid Mohammed, 37, who was born in the UAE. "Being Emirati would be like being born again."

Um Amar, 70, stood patiently in line for her turn to come. "My husband died here many years ago awaiting this day to come," she said. "For him it never did, but now for us, Inshallah it will." In Ajman, officials handed out 1,478 applications with few problems. Mohammed Amin, who registered in another centre, said he spent four decades waiting for this day to come. "I always had trust in our leaders," he said. "I knew that if I missed it, my sons would one day be locals."

Thousands more bidoon are expected to turn out to register today. The Ministry of Interior said it expected that the process would run much more smoothly today. [e-mail] [e-mail]