Kuwait’s official gazette Kuwait Alyawm has revealed three new decrees revoking citizenship from 2,182 people, with the measures additionally extending to dependents who acquired nationality by means of them. A separate decree revoked citizenship from 11 extra individuals, bringing the overall to 2,193 within the newest spherical.
Breakdown of the Newest Decrees
In keeping with Occasions Kuwait and Arab Occasions, the decrees — Nos. 22, 23, and 24 of 2026 — had been issued as a part of ongoing nationality critiques:
Decree No. 22: Withdrawal of citizenship from 2 people
Decree No. 23: Impacts 1,104 individuals
Decree No. 24: Targets 1,076 people
In all instances, revocation additionally applies to dependents who obtained Kuwaiti nationality by means of the first beneficiaries.
Why Kuwait Is Revoking Citizenship
The withdrawals are a part of amendments to Kuwait’s 1959 Nationality Regulation beneath Amiri Decree No. 15, revealed in Al-Kuwait Al-Youm in April 2026. Key provisions embrace:
Twin Nationality Ban: Newly naturalized residents should resign every other citizenship inside 3 months. Kuwait doesn’t allow twin nationality.
Fraud and False Info: Citizenship might be withdrawn if obtained by means of fraud, false statements, or inaccurate documentation beneath Article 21 bis A.
Safety & Public Order: Revocation could comply with sure felony convictions, particularly associated to nationwide safety, or actions deemed dangerous to public order or nationwide pursuits.
Marriage Naturalization Ended: The marketing campaign abolishes naturalization by marriage, which solely utilized to girls, and revokes citizenship granted to wives since 1987. Official knowledge reveals 38,505 girls had been naturalized by marriage from 1993 to 2020.
Broader Context: 71,000+ Affected Since 2024
Since March 2024, Kuwait has revoked citizenship from over 71,059 individuals by April 2026, not together with wives and descendants who additionally lose nationality. Analysts estimate as much as 20% of all residents might be affected. Excessive-profile people stripped of nationality embrace pop singer Nawal the Kuwaiti and actor Dawood Hussain.
The Supreme Committee for Kuwaiti Citizenship Investigation makes suggestions to the Minister of Inside. Latest actions embrace:
April 25, 2026: 6 decrees revoked citizenship from 1,266 individuals, together with a former Nationwide Meeting member.
Might 7, 2026: 5 decrees and a pair of Cupboard selections revoked nationality from 316 people.
April 19, 2026: 172 individuals misplaced citizenship beneath Articles 10 and 11 for marrying foreigners or buying one other nationality.
Human Rights Considerations
Amnesty Worldwide and Human Rights Watch have criticized the observe. HRW referred to as on Kuwait to “cease concentrating on opponents by means of revoking their citizenship and to reinstate withdrawn nationalities,” noting at the very least three instances appeared politically motivated.
“The correct to nationality is a really fundamental human proper, and failure to respect and guarantee it could actually wreak havoc on individuals’s lives,” stated Amnesty’s Mansoureh Mills. Many naturalized residents, together with businesswoman Amal who held Kuwaiti nationality for almost 20 years, say they turned “stateless in a single day”.
What Occurs to Dependents
Relations of these stripped of citizenship may lose Kuwaiti passports. Youngsters of naturalized residents are actually thought of naturalized, not by origin, and should select citizenship in maturity. A restricted window for appeals stays.
