The interior ministry on Wednesday defended its decision to remove parents’ names from Cyprus’ new biometric identity cards, saying the move was based on recommendations from the children’s rights commissioner, the position previously adopted by a majority of political parties, European practice and international standards.

In a statement issued amid growing political debate over the new IDs, the ministry said the issue had first been raised in 2012 by the commissioner for the protection of children’s rights, who argued that displaying a dash instead of a father’s name for children of unknown paternity or single mothers amounted to discrimination and stigmatisation.

The ministry said the matter was discussed by the House human rights committee in both 2020 and 2022, with a majority of MPs and political parties at the time, including Disy, supporting the removal of parents’ names from identity cards.

It added that parliament had encouraged the ministry to examine the proposal, but said the change could not be implemented in 2022 because of restrictions under the existing contract for issuing identity cards and passports. The issue was instead considered during the preparation of the new contract, which came into effect in 2025.

According to the ministry, the decision also reflects the practice followed by most European Union member states, where parents’ names do not appear on identity cards, and is consistent with EU Regulation 2025/1208 and International Civil Aviation Organisation standards, neither of which require parents’ names to be included on identity documents.

“The identity card is a document used to identify its holder,” the ministry said, adding that it should contain only the personal information necessary for that purpose.

It noted that parents’ names do not appear on Cypriot passports either and said a birth certificate remains the official document establishing a person’s parentage.

The ministry also signalled it may be prepared to revisit the issue, saying that if parliamentary parties have since changed their position, it is willing to discuss the matter with stakeholders and, if feasible, consider revising the terms of the current contract governing the issuance of identity cards and passports.

The statement comes after both Disy and Elam announced plans to table separate bills seeking to reverse the decision, although the two parties have proposed different approaches. Disy wants citizens to be able to choose whether their parents’ names appear on their identity cards, while Elam is seeking to make the inclusion of both parents’ names mandatory.