For most children, nationality is clear-cut. Most countries pass nationality down to children who are born to at least one of their citizens, while a smaller number grant nationality to any child born on their territory.
But citizenship laws are by nature more exclusive than inclusive. For children whose parentage or family structure is not recognized by the state, obtaining nationality and related documentation can be a daunting challenge.
That’s exactly what happened to Sara, who was born in Spain in December 2019, to a mother from the British territory of Gibraltar and a mother from Bulgaria. Spain issued a birth certificate recognizing both of her mothers as parents, but did not grant Sara Spanish citizenship, because neither of her parents were Spanish. Her Gibraltarian mother could not pass down citizenship because Sara was not born in Gibraltar. Her Bulgarian mother would typically have passed down her citizenship, but Bulgaria requested proof that there was a biological relationship between Sara and her Bulgarian mother.