A 65-year-old Emirati was walking with his wife in Dubai’s Qusais park when he heard a feeble crying voice. He first thought it was a cat but when he came close, he found a new-born girl dumped near a public waste bin.

Worried that she might be devoured by rats or other animals, Mohammed Surour Al Baloushi took the girl home and later informed the police. Nearly 30 months later, Baloushi was asked by authorities to hand her over although he says they have become used to her as she grew up just like a member of the family.

Authorities said they took this decision on the grounds Baloushi can not provide the proper environment for the girl but he rejected such justifications.

“I have been living in a state of sadness and depression because they took away this girl, who we consider as our daughter,” he told Emarat Alyoum newspaper.

“We have informed the police when we found the infant…we made a statement and they allowed us to keep the girl…a few months later, I and my wife were asked to give DNA tests and a week ago, they told us we must hand her over on the grounds my home is not suitable for the girl.”

Baloushi, who lives in Barsha, said he has five children including three boys and two girls. One of the boys is married and the youngest child is 10 years old.

“I don’t know why they say my home is not suitable…we have four rooms and my income is not bad as I earn Dgh29,000 a month,” he said. “Had they taken her away in the first months, we would have stood our ordeal…but have become used to her and can not stand being away from her…I am sure she does not feel well now because she misses us too much.”

The paper quoted Dubai’s public prosecutor Isam Al Humeidan as saying reports by two specialized government departments showed that Baloushi’s family is the not the right environment to bring up that girl.

“The family could face many complications when the girl reaches seven years…she will have to go to school but there are no documents proving her origin,” said Afra Al Basti, head of the Dubai Institution for Childcare.