Children and marginalized children - most of them are children of asylum seekers - are born and live in the country without being registered in any state registry and without having a unique identifying number recognized by the authorities (similar to an ID number). This situation harms the fundamental rights of children in all aspects of life: it impairs their ability to access health services, welfare, education, and leisure, exposes them to arbitrary delays, makes it difficult for various authorities to monitor their status, and does not allow for data collection and comprehensive policy planning regarding them.
On August 21, 2023, Attorney Tal Hassin, on behalf of the Association for Civil Rights, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Refugee and Migrant Hotline, addressed the Minister of the Interior and the Director-General of the Population and Immigration Authority. The organizations demanded the establishment of a registry for marginalized children living in Israel and the issuance of unique identifying numbers for them. In their appeal, they argued that registration and a unique identifying number are not rights derived from residency status but rather bureaucratic means, and as such, their use should not be limited to residents only, given their vital importance. Additionally, they pointed out that the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Israel is a signatory, emphasizes the importance of registration and stipulates that a child should be registered immediately after birth, with no distinction between children of status and marginalized children.
Appeal by the organizations, August 23, 2023 (Hebrew)
Appeal by the Association for Civil Rights and Physicians for Human Rights, September 21, 2022 (Hebrew)
The appeals were written with the assistance of intern Hila Sharon.