Lama, who recently left her weekly training sessions, was stunned to find out she’s no longer recognized as a citizen in Kuwait. After facing issues with payments for her class credit cards, she discovered that her bank account had been temporarily frozen, resulting from the revocation of her nationality, which she had obtained through marriage.
“It was a real shock,” her grandmother, originally from Jordan, expressed. Like others who spoke to AFP, she preferred to remain anonymous due to concerns about potential governmental backlash. She pointed out the unfairness of the situation, remarking, “After over 20 years of being a law-abiding citizen, to wake up one day and find out you no longer belong… it’s really not okay.”
This widespread revocation of citizenship is part of a reform initiative led by Kuwait’s Emir, Meshal al-Ahmad al-Saba, who dissolved Parliament within five months of assuming power in December 2023 and has suspended sections of the Constitution. Analysts suggest this new citizenship policy is aimed at reshaping Kuwaiti identity and reconnecting with a more restricted voter base amid an ongoing political crisis.
In a public address aimed at the country’s approximately 5 million residents, a third of whom are Kuwaiti citizens, the Emir pledged in March to “restore Kuwait to its original people, free from impurities.” Since August alone, over 37,000 individuals, including about 26,000 women, have reportedly lost their Kuwaiti nationality, and some media outlets hint that the real figure could be considerably higher.
While mass revocations of citizenship have occurred before, according to Badar Al-Saif, an assistant professor at the University of Kuwait, “the scale we’re seeing now is unprecedented.” Kuwait already has a significant stateless population, known as Bidoon, estimated at around 100,000 individuals who were denied citizenship following independence from British rule in 1961.
“They chased their mother.”
The recent campaign has ended naturalization through marriage—an option that had only been available to women—and has denied citizenship to wives who had been naturalized since 1987. Data reveals that from 1993 to 2020, 38,505 women were granted citizenship through marriage.
The policy appears to target not only those holding dual nationality—illegal under Kuwaiti law—but also individuals who may have gained citizenship via fraudulent means. Even prominent figures like pop singer Nawal and actor Dawood Hussein have lost their citizenship. “I became stateless overnight,” reflected Amal, a businessman who’s lived in Kuwait for about 20 years.
As many grapple with their legal status and attempt to reclaim their nationality, others are left feeling that the right to nationality is a fundamental human right deserving respect and protection—something that seems to have been lost amid the chaos.
Analysts indicate that this latest initiative interweaves Kuwait’s identity with nationality, highlighting the question, “Who are we as a nation?” While the Kuwaiti parliament is notable in the Gulf for its structure, the existing citizenship system restricts political rights to those born to Kuwaiti fathers. After the 1990 Iraqi invasion, naturalized citizens only gained voting rights 20 years post-naturalization, similar to children born after a father’s citizenship was granted.
However, experts like Giorgio Cafiero, CEO of Gulf State Analytics, suggest that the current leadership is shaping a narrow vision of Kuwaiti nationalism, likely disregarding those without deep familial roots in the country.
Melissa Langworthy, a researcher on Gulf citizenship issues, noted that naturalized women are often seen as not ideally fitting the nation’s narrative, reflecting on how they are perceived as less integral. Lama’s comment, “We are the mothers and grandmothers of this country’s children,” exemplifies a broader sentiment.
“Innocent woman”
Initially framed as a crackdown on fraudulent practices, the government’s approach was welcomed in Kuwait, where many shared concerns about corruption. Yet, the sentiment quickly shifted. One Kuwaiti man lamented that the government equated “innocent women with con artists,” citing the unfair treatment of his wife, a retired civil servant who has had her pension suspended for over six months due to this situation.
“What message does this send when you spur racism and treat them unjustly?” he questioned. While authorities maintain that women will retain their social benefits as Kuwaitis, those impacted have lost their political rights.
The Emir referenced ongoing tensions between Parliament and the royal cabinet, having dissolved the council amid ongoing conflicts. According to Cafiero, this might indicate a strategy to reduce the civic population to create a more manageable political voter base.
