Kuwait revokes citizenship of 30 people, including an American, in a week
Forgery cited as among reasons to withdraw nationality amid crackdown on corruption
Cairo: The Kuwaiti government has approved stripping nine more people of citizenship, raising the number of nationality revocations to 30 in one week, local media reported.
The latest persons stripped of Kuwaiti citizenship are six men and three women, including a US national.
Related decisions, made by an ad-hoc Kuwaiti citizenship verification committee, was published on Monday by the Official Gazette, Kuwait Today. There was no immediate explanation.
But days ago, the committee decided to withdraw Kuwaiti citizenship from several others including holders found to have obtained it through forgery, and handed down final court rulings. Some of them are still in prison.
In other cases, citizenship was withdrawn due to dual nationality.
Kuwaiti newspaper Al Qabas cited a government source saying constant meetings are held to expose forgers and those who illegally obtained citizenship.
“Decisions to withdraw nationality continue. Other groups will be submitted by the committee to the Council of Ministers after examining files,” the source said. “There are supreme directives of showing zero tolerance towards forgers and taking legal procedures against them.”
The source said the Council of Ministers has directed the ministers to expose any suspected corruption case and make its details public to “consecrate transparency”.
According to the source, cases to be disclosed soon are related to forged education degrees.
Last week, Kuwaiti Prime Minister Mohammed Al Sabah said his government is working to combat forged official documents including fake education degrees. To this end, authorities are reviewing degrees issued since the year 2000. “This is an actual measure confirming seriousness in applying law and combating not only financial corruption, but administrative corruption as well,” he said at a meeting with university students.