Koror, Palau – A bill before the Palauan Senate could grant international travel rights to adopted individuals who lack Palauan ancestry and are currently unable to obtain passports.
House Bill 11-109-10 (HD2) proposes utilizing the Machine Readable Convention Travel Document (MRCTD) for this purpose. The MRCTD, recognized by the United Nations, functions as a passport equivalent for stateless persons.
The issue stems from Palau’s constitution and laws, which restrict passport eligibility to individuals of Palauan descent. This leaves adopted individuals born in Palau to non-Palauan parents in a unique limbo, unable to travel for education, medical care, or other reasons.
Previous attempts to amend the constitution failed, prompting this alternative approach. House Bill HD2 outlines specific criteria for MRCTD eligibility:
- Adoption before the age of one
- Non-Palauan ancestry
- No existing passport from another country
The bill passed the House of Delegates and now awaits deliberation in the Senate.