Authorities in Kuwait continue to arbitrary revoke the citizenship of many citizens. Local sources confirmed to the Gulf Centre for Human Rights (GCHR) that the number of individuals who have had their citizenship revoked by the Kuwaiti authorities has reached an alarming rate of 912.
On 29 August 2024, the Kuwait News Agency (KUNA), the official news agency of Kuwait, published on its website a news item about the Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Nationality, after a meeting chaired by Sheikh Fahad Yousef Al-Sabah , who is the First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense and Minister of Interior, issuing an arbitrary decision to revoke the citizenship of 78 citizens. This number represents the highest number in a single day.
This stands in stark contravention of article 15 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights which clearly states that, “Everyone has the right to a nationality. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.”
On 27 May 2024, the Emir, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, issued a decree to form the Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Nationality, which perpetuated the practice of arbitrarily revoking the nationality of many citizens. Since early March 2024, the Kuwaiti authorities had begun a campaign to revoke the nationalities of citizens for various reasons, including forgery.
The Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Nationality confirmed that they will continue examining potential cases, suggesting that the number of citizenship revocations is likely to increase.
These actions set a troubling precedent that undermines fundamental human rights. Citizenship is crucial for accessing essential services such as education and healthcare. Those rendered stateless because of such measures risk losing access to these vital services. Additionally, those without citizenship might be deported or held in detention, exposing them to greater risk. These measures are particularly perilous because they can impact entire families, including family members who acquire citizenship as dependents.
The process by which citizenship revocations are carried out also exhibits a concerning lack of transparency. Revocations are often issued arbitrarily and without prior warning, indicating that affected individuals are denied the right to freely contest these decisions before the court.
Furthermore, revoking citizenship in Kuwait is often used as a tool to punish and suppress opponents in addition to targeting citizens who have views critical of the government. On 07 April 2024, an Emiri decree was issued bearing the signature of the Emir of Kuwait, which stated that citizenship had been withdrawn from three citizens, including blogger Salman Al-Khalidi, and from all those who acquired it through dependency.
GCHR calls on the Kuwaiti government to halt this process immediately and ensure that affected individuals are granted access to appeal before the court. Using citizenship revocation as a tool to penalise opponents is absolutely reprehensible. We strongly condemn this act and ask the Kuwaiti government to respect the rights of the Kuwaiti people to express their opinions without facing repercussions of statelessness. The government must uphold human rights conventions and reform the nationality law.
Photo Credit: Independent Arabic
