Parents’ names cannot be removed from Cypriot IDs unless those are also deleted from the state’s electronic register, which was “not desirable”, Interior Minister Nicos Nouris said on Monday.

Explaining the issues arising from the possibility of removing the mother’s and father’s names from national identity cards, at a House human rights committee meeting, the minister said there were “objective difficulties”.

The system, he said, could not separate the information from the register and the documents of the Republic.

He said that any information deleted from this register would be deleted from the political IDs as well, adding that “this is not desirable”.

Nouris said the details in the electronic register, and by extension on the IDs, ensure security in transactions and help identify the individual.

He added that “any possible change…. requires significant cost and time to implement.”

Commenting on the issue of stigmatisation of some children whose father is unknown, Nouris said in those cases, the specific section remains blank.

“The indication of unknown father does not exist in any document of the Republic of Cyprus.”

The minister highlighted that any decision should be taken in line with proportionality and not to satisfy a small portion of the population “which faces some particularities”.

Children’s rights commissioner Despo Michaelidou disagreed with his statements, explaining that “even if a small group of children is victimised…then we should try to find a solution”.

The issue concerning the removal of the parents’ names was initially brought up in 2012, when a report by the Children’s rights commissioner raised concerns over the marginalisation and stigmatisation of children of unknown parents or children of single mothers. These might also include children of women who used a sperm donor and lesbian couples.

The recent debate led to the online harassment of Disy MP Savia Orphanidou with netizens claiming she was serving her personal interests as her daughter was donor conceived.

Cyprus is the only country among the 26 member states of the European Union that makes it compulsory to have the parents’ names on IDs. On Cyprus passports parents’ are not included.