The state wants to address paternity fraud through draft legislation that has been submitted to Parliament, Phileleftheros reported on Tuesday.
The draft bill is scheduled to be discussed at the House Interior Committee.
According to the proposed amendment of the Civil Registry Law, the Prefect or an authorised representative will have the right to request a DNA test, to determine the validity of documents submitted in order to a birth certificate.
Fake declarations of paternity are on the rise in Cyprus, Phileleftheros reports. Currently, police are investigating cases in which Greek Cypriots (in the majority of cases) or other European citizens are accused of falsely declaring that they are the fathers of children of African origin, born in Cyprus.
According to Phileleftheros, in some cases, the suspects received a few thousand euros to declare they are the fathers of the children. In exchange, mothers acquire permanent residency in Cyprus or in another European country.
From December 2021 until today, police investigated eight such cases, Phileleftheros writes, citing official information.
