DUBAI // Expatriate community groups have appealed to young unmarried women not to break the law by getting pregnant.
There are no official figures for the number of babies born out of wedlock but anecdotal evidence suggests dozens of children are abandoned each year by desperate mothers.
They are often left in the street, near mosques or outside homes. Sometimes the child dies before it is found or, in extreme cases, killed by its parents to hide the birth from the law.
“We don’t have figures but I would say we are seeing an increase,” said Melca Perez, who chairs the Filipino women’s right group Gabriela.
“It’s not just domestic workers but also people in the service sector and office workers who get themselves into this situation.”
Most people know the law but continue to act on their emotions, said Ms Perez. “It can be difficult for people because they are living and working in the UAE and in most cases away from their families.
“Over the last few years there have been around 10 cases of babies being abandoned by Filipino women that I’m aware of. I think the fear of the consequences means that there are many more who don’t report it.
“In other cases women have been the victims of sexual assault and feel there is nowhere for them to turn.”
She urged people to think about the consequences before beginning a relationship outside of marriage.
“What happens is that people become emotionally involved and then they act despite being aware of the consequences. I would advise people not to do that and follow the rules.”
An issue many community groups try to deal with is preventing newcomers to the UAE from feeling isolated. “You have to remember that when someone comes into the country they may not know anyone,” said Ernesto Refugio, former president of Bayanihan UAE, an umbrella organisation of Filipino community groups in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain.
“We arrange for many events to try to make sure people don’t feel isolated and then become tempted by illicit relationships.
“It is very important for people to follow the laws. The fact is that if people have a baby outside of marriage then they will go to jail and the baby faces an uncertain future.
“The welfare of the baby is paramount and that is something people don’t think about when they set down on this path.”
It is better for a woman who becomes pregnant through an illicit relationship to go back to her home country and have the baby there, he said.
“Of course this also poses problems if they are already married and the family back home may not want to make that public.
“It is far better not to get into this situation in the first place because the consequences are serious, not only in here the UAE but also when they are deported back to their home countries.”
An official from an Indian community group said most of the cases he was made aware of involved domestic workers.
“I would say in the last year we’ve had about 10 cases where women have abandoned their babies,” he said.
It is very difficult for community groups of the embassies to do anything once someone has a baby outside of marriage, he said.
“People should not act in such a selfish way and think instead about the life they are bringing into this world. The babies that survive are sent to orphanages but they face an uncertain future and they are totally blameless.
“People must think through what the consequences will be and abide by the rules.”
