Supreme Court orders that twins be given their travel papers

The Supreme Court has asked the Centre to provide travel documents to the surrogate twins of a German couple so that they can go to their country. The twins were born to an Indian woman in Gujarat.

But, the court stayed a Gujarat high court order of 2008 directing the Centre to grant citizenship to the newborns.

The couple, Jan Balaz and Susane Lohle,  said that the twins would not be allowed into Germany without Indian citizenship because it does not recognise surrogacy. When passport authorities turned down the plea, the couple moved the HC which asked the Centre to grant citizenship. Friday’s order comes on the Centre’s plea challenging this judgment.

The Centre said granting passports would amount to granting citizenship. The argument was that children born to surrogate mothers and biological fathers from another country are not entitled to a passport. The bench said it would decide later, if needed, whether a baby born to a surrogate Indian mother and foreign biological father is entitled to
passport.