Kuwait Committee to Revoke Another 5,800 Citizenships

Kuwait’s Supreme Committee to Investigate Kuwaiti Citizenship has decided to revoke 5,838 citizenships and has referred these cases to the Council of Ministers for final approval before implementation.

This decision marks the latest escalation in the country’s citizenship review campaign, which has already canceled 12,000 citizenships since August 2024.

Under Article 8 of Kuwait’s nationality law, foreign women who marry Kuwaiti nationals can receive citizenship after 15 years of marriage.

The government is scrutinizing these naturalizations through Article 13, which outlines conditions for citizenship revocation.

The committee’s decisions target 5,706 naturalized wives from 54 countries who gained citizenship under Article 8.

Article 13’s fourth provision authorizes revocation if authorities find evidence that naturalized citizens’ actions could “seriously undermine the economic or social structure of the State.”

Four dual nationality cases and 128 instances of fraud complete the total.

Article 13 addresses fraud in its first provision, authorizing citizenship withdrawal if citizens obtained “naturalization by virtue of fraud or false declaration.”

The government demonstrates an unwavering position on these investigations, maintaining that “there will be no compromise on the national identity file” as citizenship fundamentally “rests on loyalty and belonging, not personal benefits and gains.”

First Deputy Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef Al-Sabah leads the initiative examining approximately 32,000 naturalized wives of Kuwaiti citizens for investigation by month’s end as the cabinet prepares to review each case.

The law’s second and third provisions authorize revocation if naturalized citizens face honor or honesty-related criminal convictions within 15 years of naturalization or dismissal from public office within 10 years.

According to the Arab Times, a government source notes that finding “a single instance of forgery” triggers a comprehensive audit of the entire family file.

The committee encourages individuals aware of fraudulent registrations to report them voluntarily to avoid criminal liability.

One notable case uncovered by the Nationality Investigations Department involves a man who obtained citizenship in 1993 and subsequently registered 74 fake children and grandchildren.

His brothers’ testimony revealed he had used a fictitious birth certificate to gain citizenship following Iraq’s 1990 invasion of Kuwait.

The government says it maintains protective measures for certain affected individuals.

Women who lose citizenship through these investigations keep their employment and current salaries, while retirees continue receiving pensions.

The Supreme Committee plans to complete its Article 8 file review by January’s end while the cabinet considers the current revocation decisions for final approval.