Bid to get one-time German visa for twins

New Delhi: The Centre told the Supreme Court on Saturday that it would try to persuade the German government to facilitate a "one-time visa" on humanitarian grounds to the twins of a German couple born to a surrogate Indian woman so that they could be taken to that country.

Solicitor General Gopal Subramaniam told a bench that he would take up the issue with the Ministry of External Affairs for processing the request, but opposed granting citizenship to the twins as Indian laws did not permit that.

The German couple Jan Balaz and Susane Lohle are desperately seeking Indian citizenship for the children born in February 2008 through the surrogate mother Martha Immanual Khristy on the plea that the twins would otherwise not be allowed entry into Germany which does not recognise surrogacy.

The couple said that once the twins were accorded Indian citizenship they would be entitled to passports, thus facilitating their entry into Germany.

The Solicitor General rgued that if the German authorities failed to grant citizenship to the twins, the children would become "stateless."

He submitted that if the couple was allowed to leave India with the twins, there was the possibility that they would go beyond the reach of the Indian courts for compliance of any future direction. He therefore wanted a suitable undertaking from the couple in this regard.

Agreeing with Subramaniam's suggestion, the apex court asked Jan Balaz, the father, to file an affidavit assuring the "fullest cooperation" to the court and posted the matter for further hearing to January 4.

Law Minister M. Veerappa Moily said on Saturday that his Ministry was examining the matter. "We may not have laws on issues which are new concepts. This is an issue that the Law Ministry is also looking at, as this system is here to stay and India is not an exception," Mr. Moily said here.

He, however, told Times Now that he could not comment now on the approach the Centre would take. --PTI

(Edit:Ruby)