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15-year-old Norwegian girl: Please don’t uproot me

Dubai: A 15-year-old Norwegian girl in Dubai caught in a row between her divorced parents has launched a campaign on social media to avoid being uprooted from the UAE.

Maria Gharifard, whose passport expires on August 31, is fighting hard to avoid leaving Dubai for Oslo against her will because of a complaint filed by her mother who is in Norway.

Her first video appeal on YouTube was posted on August 2, followed by another on August 4. Speaking in a calm, composed voice with her American English accent, Maria said: "I am not targeting my mother directly. I just want my story to be heard. The Norwegian embassy has already told me that I have the right to a five-year passport. However, my mother has complained to the Norwegian authorities. And as long as there is a complaint, I cannot renew my passport. This will take a long time and my passport would be expired by then," she said in response to online queries from supporters.

Happy in Dubai

Maria comes from a mixed background and has led a happy life in Dubai. Her father, who is of Muslim heritage, is a Norwegian citizen.

"As a proud Norwegian citizen, Maria has grown to love and understand both backgrounds, and feels right at home in Dubai, the land of expatriates," her appeal states.

In 2007, her mother moved back to Norway after separating from her father. They divorced two years later, leaving Maria in her father's custody in Dubai, which is what Maria wanted as per her online statements.

In addition to YouTube, Maria has started a Facebook campaign and also an online petition through www.change.org. On the "Support Maria" Facebook page, the student of Raffles International School-Dubai said her online petition is her last-ditch effort to avoid losing her right to travel.

Asked what her mother thinks about her problem, Maria said: "You can ask my mother's opinion about it. But regardless of her opinion on the issue, the passport will still expire at the end of the month and I should have the right to get it renewed."

Maria said she hopes her web appeal will gather enough signatures which she plans to present to Norwegian authorities for them to change their mind.

Tom Elvesæther, First Secretary at the Royal Norwegian Embassy, Abu Dhabi, said they are not in a position to comment on ongoing cases. "In general … all Norwegians under the age of 18, as a main rule, need approval from both parents before a new travel document can be issued by any Norwegian passport-issuing authority. Citizenship does not depend on a valid travel document."


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