Namibian twins: Paula and Maya are heading ‘home’ after government issues travel documents

The Namibian Ministry of Home Affairs issued travel documents to Philip Luhl and Guillermo Delgado’s twin daughters, Paula and Maya, who were born in South Africa in March, on Tuesday, 18 May.

Luhl and the infants have been stuck in South Africa since their birth as the government refused to recognise the babies – who were born via a surrogate – as Namibian citizens or allow them into the country. The government, especially the former Minister of Home Affairs Frans Kapofi insist that Luhl, the Namibian native, must prove a genetic link to the children before they can be granted citizenship.

The parents and the government were embroiled in a legal battle. On 19 April, the Windhoek High Court rejected their petition for emergency travel documents, with Judge Thomas Masuku saying giving such an order would be a judicial overreach.

READ: Namibian father and twins to remain in SA after court refuses application

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The Namibia Equal Rights Movement (NERSA), a movement advocating for equality for the queer community in Namibia, which formed in the wake of the government’s treatment of the twins, said that the Ministry of Home Affairs issued travel documents to Paula and Maya on Tuesday.

However, they are effectively stateless because the government still does not recognise them as citizens. The citizenship court case is expected to take place in August 2021.

“They will be reunited with their family, albeit stateless. We want to thank everyone for fighting for them. Together we did it,” said NERSA.

According to Reuters, a new home affairs minister was appointed in a cabinet shuffle in April, after the High Court, ruled against the parents. Albert Kawana’s ministry opted not to oppose the Luhl-Delgado’s latest emergency application for travel documents and allowed the twins to enter Namibia.

The Luhl-Delgado’s were already involved in court action over the citizenship of their two-year-old son, Yona. The boy was granted an emergency Namibian passport two weeks ago and now the parents hope to acquire the same for their twins.

The Namibian government, however, insist that the issuance of the travel documents is not a concession from the ministry of home affairs and does not confer citizenship on the children. They added that they are awaiting the judgement from the court on the requirement that Luhl must prove his genetic link to Yona.

In March, former minister Kapofi said: “These people want us to give their children Namibian documents – citizenship by descent. We have a problem with that because we need to know that indeed these children have Namibian DNA.”