Kuwait’s Defence Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef claimed the migration campaign is to protect Kuwait’s national identity [Getty]
Kuwait has intensified its sweeping campaign to revoke citizenship from thousands of individuals, including prominent public figures, activists, and artists, in what critics say is an unprecedented crackdown on civil rights and identity.
In recent days, the government has stripped citizenship from well-known Islamic preacher Nabil Al-Awadi and journalist Mubarak Al-Omair, with unconfirmed reports suggesting the campaign may have also reached former national goalkeeper and preacher Ahmad Al-Tarabulsi.
Earlier, the nationality of iconic singer Nawal Al-Kuwaitia and actor Dawood Hussein was also revoked.
Kuwaiti media estimate that since the campaign began last year, more than 35,000 people have been stripped of their nationality. Other reports, including AFP, put the number at over 42,000 as of March 2025.
The campaign is being spearheaded by the Supreme Committee for Nationality Affairs, led by First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Youssef. In January 2025 alone, the committee announced the revocation of citizenship from 3,856 individuals, including cases of dual nationality, forgery, and those falling under Article 8 of Kuwait’s Nationality Law.
Individuals whose citizenship is revoked are automatically reclassified as “stateless” or Bedoon, losing access to basic rights like free healthcare, public education, and government employment. They are required to surrender their passports and ID cards to the Central Agency for Illegal Residents and are issued documents that mark them as non-citizens.
‘From citizen to stateless overnight’
“This is a siege on families,” said prominent Bedoon activist Mohammed Al-Barghash, who has personally been affected by the revocations. “Travel has become impossible, even for those suffering from serious illnesses,” he told Arabi21. “My ID cards and those of my family were suspended because of my human rights advocacy, making life difficult for education, work, and medical treatment.”
In June 2024, Kuwait’s interior ministry stopped issuing and renewals of Article 17 travel documents – temporary passports previously used by Bedoon and other stateless individuals for humanitarian travel, including medical treatment and study abroad.
The decision has been widely condemned by rights groups for leaving thousands effectively trapped inside the country.
“Even those who studied abroad on government scholarships have had their studies cut off,” said Al-Barghash, adding that those stripped of citizenship have seen their government job contracts turned into precarious private ones.
Pensioners have also been impacted. According to Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Rai, those who obtained citizenship under the “exceptional services” clause – Article 13, Paragraph 4 – have had their pensions frozen. The Social Insurance Institution says the law only applies to Kuwaiti nationals, and there are no exceptions.
A campaign backed by the Emir
In a televised speech last month, Emir Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah defended the mass revocations, saying those who obtained citizenship illegally or threaten national security “have no place here”. The Emir described the campaign as part of a national effort to “restore Kuwait to its rightful people, clean and free of impurities.”
The Emir rejected accusations of injustice and praised the work of the Nationality Committee. “Handling the citizenship file is being done within the framework of the law, away from political posturing,” he said.
Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Youssef also defended the process, saying: “Kuwait was held hostage by forged nationalities. We are now returning it to its true citizens.” He added that those stripped under Article 8 may be granted legal residency and work permits, but “forgers and dual nationals will face severe penalties”.
Activists warn the campaign lacks due process, is deeply politicised, and disproportionately affects vulnerable groups, including women, dissidents, and stateless communities.
