Everyone 'under review' as Kuwait revokes citizenship of nearly 50,000 people

Minister says updated nationality document will be introduced in move to uncover 'forgers'

Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al Sabah, said everyone in the country is under review. EPA

Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of nearly 50,000 people in a crackdown on illegal nationality claims, a top official has announced.

Kuwait’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al Sabah, said co-ordination with several countries has helped uncover numerous “forgers”.

“All nationality files in Kuwait are under review and subject to detailed scrutiny without exception,” he told Al Qabas newspaper.

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When asked whether current or former members of parliament and ministers are under review by the Supreme Committee for Kuwaiti Nationality, Sheikh Fahad replied: “All of Kuwait is under review”.

The policy claims to target foreigners who illegally obtained Kuwaiti citizenship.

The Supreme Committee, established more than a year ago, examines cases to determine who has a legal claim to Kuwaiti nationality. In several cases, the names of those stripped of citizenship have been made public.

The newspaper reported that nearly 50,000 citizenships had been revoked since the campaign escalated this year, quoting the minister, who also revealed that a new version of the Kuwaiti nationality document will soon be introduced in electronic form.

Kuwait does not allow dual nationality, meaning those who acquire Kuwaiti citizenship must renounce their original nationality. The country's population is about five million, with a significant majority being foreign nationals.

While the primary aim of the campaign is to revoke the citizenship of forgers, other cases have also been targeted. In July, the state news agency reported that an individual was stripped of their citizenship in the “higher interest” of the state, citing the committee.

Kuwaiti citizenship is passed down from a Kuwaiti father to his children automatically. Kuwait, however, allows for naturalisation by a high committee comprised of Kuwaiti nationals designated by the Minister of the Interior, who periodically evaluate applicants seeking citizenship.

Many foreigners obtained citizenship decades ago as they helped build the Gulf nation.

Citizenship rights have been at the centre of a long-standing debate in Kuwait, including the issue of about 120,000 stateless people in the country known as “bidoon”. Despite efforts to address the issue, including legislative reforms, challenges have persisted over several years due to political tension.