50,000 Kuwaiti citizenships revoked

Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of nearly 50,000 individuals in a sweeping nationwide campaign targeting illegal naturalisation, First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousuf Saud Al-Sabah confirmed on Monday.

In an interview with the Kuwaiti daily Al-Qabas, Sheikh Fahad revealed that the government, in coordination with several foreign governments, has identified thousands of cases in which citizenship was obtained through fraudulent means. “We are reviewing all citizenship documents in the country,” he said, emphasizing that no one is exempt—including current and former members of parliament and government ministers.

The operation, launched over a year ago, is being carried out by a high-level state committee tasked with verifying the legitimacy of citizenship claims. Many of those stripped of nationality have already been publicly named.

According to The National, the UAE-based news outlet, the crackdown primarily targets foreign nationals who acquired Kuwaiti citizenship through illegal, forged, or deceptive documentation. The initiative has intensified in recent months, with around 50,000 citizenship revocations recorded so far.

Sheikh Fahad also announced plans to introduce a new electronic national ID system to modernize and secure Kuwait’s civil registration process, reducing opportunities for future fraud.

Kuwait does not recognize dual citizenship—applicants are required by law to renounce any other nationality before being naturalized. The country’s total population is around five million, of whom over 70% are expatriates.

While the government insists the campaign is focused solely on eliminating fraudulent citizenships, Sheikh Fahad acknowledged that some revocations were made in the interest of “the higher interests of the state.”

Kuwaiti citizenship is primarily patrilineal, passed from father to child. However, the government may grant nationality to foreign nationals through a special committee—often in recognition of service or long-term contribution. Over the decades, this process has been criticized for inconsistencies and lack of transparency.

The revocation drive comes amid longstanding debate over the status of the Bidoon—an estimated 120,000 stateless residents who have lived in Kuwait for generations without legal recognition. Despite repeated calls for reform, their citizenship claims remain unresolved, highlighting the complexity and sensitivity of nationality issues in the Gulf nation.