Unmarried couple live with daughter

Sharjah: An unmarried couple who had a daughter seven years ago are still sharing life together outside wedlock in Sharjah. They have lived together for the past eight years.

The couple, a Bangladeshi housemaid who absconded from her sponsor, and her Bangladeshi partner never married because the woman was never issued a residency visa here.

The woman said she has lived with her boyfriend since she became pregnant with their daughter.

Afraid

She said she came to work in the country ten years ago but a few months after she arrived she decided to abscond from her sponsor.

She said she started to work as a part-time housemaid in different houses for many families.

The woman said at that time, she had an affair with a man who used to work in the same building where she stayed with other women. She said after some time she discovered that she was pregnant.

She said she moved to live with her boyfriend in his house and gave birth to her baby girl who turns seven this year.

"My baby girl was born in our room and not in a hospital because we are not married and there is an absconding case against me so we were afraid to go to the hospital," she said.

The woman said that her daughter does not have a birth certificate or passport. She also said she does not have her passport because when she absconded her passport was with her sponsor.

"My daughter and I have never left our house fearing the police but my boyfriend works for a company in Sharjah and has a valid residency visa," she said.

She said her boyfriend is the one who earns a living for them.

The woman said her daughter does not go to school but she teaches her at home. She is teaching her how to read and write.

"We will not go back to our country because we will not be able to come back here again because I will have a life ban imposed in addition to having an illegitimate daughter," she said.

The woman said she and her boyfriend have decided to stay here forever.

‘Good money'

She said one day her daughter will marry here and will have legal residency in the UAE.

"We are living here and making good money so why would we go back to our country," the woman said.