Dutch Court Seeks Morocco’s Response on Nationality Claims of Stateless Mother and Daughter

They have lived in the Netherlands for eighteen years, but their nationality remains a puzzle for the authorities. A woman born in Algeria in 1975 and her daughter, born in Morocco in 2000, say they hold no nationality. The Dutch state, by contrast, believes they may be Moroccan. The court in The Hague, which is considering two applications for recognition as stateless, has just called for new checks with the authorities of the Kingdom.

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Their story began well before their arrival in Europe. According to statements she made to the Dutch authorities, the mother left Algeria as a child to go to Morocco with her own mother. Much of their family lived there. She grew up there, married and had children.

In February 2008, she came to the Netherlands with her husband, daughter and son. The family travelled on Moroccan passports. Several years later, however, the mother said the documents were fake. She also said she did not know how her former husband had obtained them or what had become of them.

For the Dutch authorities, the passports are nonetheless an important indication. They also point out that the mother had previously said her own parents were Moroccan, as was the father of her children. Under Moroccan law, a child can automatically acquire the nationality of their father or mother.

The two women dispute this interpretation. The daughter argues, in particular, that her birth in Morocco was never registered and that her parents are not Moroccan nationals. Her mother, for her part, says her own nationality has never been established.

Eight years after their last applications, Morocco must be contacted again

In its two rulings issued on July 17, 2026, the court in The Hague identifies a major difficulty: having lived in Morocco or presenting oneself as Moroccan is not enough to prove that nationality legally.

The judges note that the mother may have been referring to her origins rather than her administrative status. They also refuse to treat the old passports as decisive proof, as their authenticity was not checked at the time.

Another factor complicates the case. Until October 2018, the two women made repeated requests to obtain documents from the Moroccan authorities but received no response. The Dutch service responsible for returns had also requested travel documents on two occasions, again without success.

The Dutch state nonetheless says cooperation with Moroccan diplomatic missions has improved since then. The court confirms that it knows of recent cases in which Morocco issued certificates stating whether or not a person was recognized as a Moroccan national.

The judges therefore order the two women to each request an official declaration on their nationality. They must provide their names, dates and places of birth, give the Moroccan authorities one month to respond, and then send a follow-up allowing an additional fourteen days if there is no reply.

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The court is also examining the possibility of Algerian nationality, since the mother was born in that country. But it finds insufficient evidence to establish that she or her daughter acquired Algerian nationality. The central question therefore remains whether they may have acquired Moroccan nationality through their parents.

The two proceedings have been suspended until this Thursday, October 15, 2026, when the court is due to review the steps taken.