The Ministry of Education has instructed all schools in the Kingdom to admit Yemeni students who have residence permits but no birth certificates.

They would also be able to write their examinations, according to a source quoted by a local publication. There is “currently coordination with school examination and admission boards regarding this issue,” the source said.

Atwar Mohasen, the mother of a Yemeni student, said a school in Dammam had refused to allow her son to write his final examinations because he did not have an official birth certificate, even though “the education department had permitted schools to accept iqamas or passports instead.”

She explained: “Since the beginning of the semester, I have been unable to provide the school my son’s birth certificate because the city where I gave birth to him in Yemen rarely keeps records of birth certificates.”

She said: “The school administration approved his acceptance on the condition that I must provide all paperwork before the end of the school year, but I have been unable to do so due to the current conditions in Yemen.”

Mohasen said she appealed to the Human Rights Commission, which is now working with the education department to allow her son to write his final examinations.

According to Mohasen “tens of Yemeni students lack official birth certificates and are often required to visit the embassy to obtain one. However the current conditions in the country do not allow for this.”

Meanwhile, education departments in the Kingdom confirmed that Yemenis are among those nationalities who must be granted special concessions at local schools and universities.

Those students who are unable to provide birth certificates will have their files transferred to the ministry, to review other official documents available,” a supervisor said.

Abdulalallem Bawazeer, father of a Yemeni student, said his daughter was threatened with expulsion for being unable to provide her birth certificate. He said that he contacted the education department in the Eastern Province to ensure all other documents were provided to the school.