Kuwait revokes citizenship of nine more residents, offers them free healthcare
Temporary ID cards issued as hundreds stripped of citizenship over recent months
Dubai/Cairo: Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of nine individuals, according to Decree No. 130 of 2024 published in the official gazette, Al Kuwait Al Youm.
The decree targets Fatima Zamel Ajil Awad and extends to those who gained citizenship through her. Additionally, eight other individuals have lost their citizenship under Cabinet Resolution No. 792 of 2024.
Following these revocations, the Ministry of Health has instructed health facilities to provide free treatment to these former citizens, provided they hold a valid identification card from the Central Agency for Illegal Residents.
This move is part of a coordinated effort to manage and monitor the status of individuals affected by citizenship revocation.
ID cards
Meanwhile, Kuwait has issued an identification card for citizens whose nationality has been revoked due to different reasons, according to a media report.
The state Central Agency has notified government bodies of the form of the card issued for persons whose Kuwaiti citizenship has been withdrawn upon a royal decree, the news portal Almajillis reported.
The card is valid for one year and only used to prove the holder's identification. The issuance basis in the card states that the holder's nationality was withdrawn upon a royal edict. There was no immediate official comment or confirmation.
Hotline
Kuwait, a country of around 4.9 million people mostly foreigners, has recently launched a clampdown on citizenship fraud.
The country has withdrawn its citizenship from hundreds of people since March due to fraud or holding another nationality, according to media reports.
The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry has set up a hotline to receive reports about holders of citizenship obtained through forgery. The ministry’s General Directorate of Nationality and Travel Documents has urged the public having information on forged or dual nationals to report it via the hotline for investigations, promising the whistleblowers full secrecy.
Under Kuwait’s naturalisation law, citizenship is withdrawn if the holder obtained it through fraud, false statements, or is convicted in a dishonouring crime or a breach of trust within the first 15 years of getting citizenship. Dual citizenship is also banned under Kuwaiti law.