The junior member of the ruling Dutch coalition, the Christian Union, is pushing for the mandatory registration of fathers on birth certificates. The party wants to put a stop to people simply ticking the 'father unknown' box.
Christian Union MP Joël Voordewind has told Radio Netherlands Worldwide that a child has the right to know who his or her father is. The MP believes not being able to find out who one's father is can lead to emotional damage.
His call for what is being dubbed a paternity law comes in the wake of similar demands by OCAN, an organisation representing the Dutch Caribbean community. It is relatively common for children born into this ethnic group to have no registered father. Every year, about 11,000 Dutch birth certificates include the entry 'father unknown'.
photo: father unknown: Het Register
father unknown: Het Register
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