Kuwait (Monitoring Desk): Following recent amendments to the country’s old 1959 citizenship law, thousands of people were reportedly stripped of Kuwaiti nationality last week.
According to Kuwaiti media reports, the changes implemented under Royal Decree No. 15 aim to make the citizenship acquisition process more strict and transparent.
Under the new law, individuals granted citizenship are now required to renounce any other nationality within three months.
Official figures indicate that 2,182 people have already had their citizenship revoked, while additional cases are still under review.
Authorities have also expanded the grounds for revocation, allowing action in cases involving false information, activities against national security, or actions deemed harmful to state interests.
The law further states that in certain cases, the travel documents of family members of those stripped of citizenship may also be affected, although limited rights of appeal have been granted to affected individuals.
Additionally, children of foreign nationals will no longer automatically be considered citizens; instead, they will be treated as naturalized citizens and will be able to decide their nationality upon reaching adulthood.
According to a report by the international magazine New Lines Magazine, these measures are part of a broader campaign ongoing since 2024, under which thousands of people have already been affected.
Citizenship in Kuwait is considered highly valuable, providing access to free healthcare, housing benefits, and other state facilities.
