'Stateless overnight': Kuwait strips off citizenship of over 30,000 people, mostly women
PTC News Desk: In a shocking turn of events, Kuwait has stripped off citizenship of more than 37,000 individuals comprising mostly women who gained citizenship through marriage.
According to a report, This move is part of the “reformist” initiative led by Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, and its objective is to restrict nationality to those with blood ties and reshape Kuwaiti identity after years of political crisis.
The widespread revocation of citizenship is part of a reform initiative led by Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Meshal al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who dissolved the parliament and partially suspended the constitution just five months after assuming power in December 2023.
According to analysts, the new citizenship policy is intended to limit nationality to individuals with ancestral ties to the small, oil-rich country. The move aims to redefine Kuwaiti national identity and possibly reduce the number of eligible voters following years of political turmoil.
Citizens narrate ordeal
“Overnight, I became stateless,” said Amal, a businesswoman who had been Kuwaiti for nearly two decades.
A Kuwaiti man whose wife lost her citizenship said the government was equating “innocent women and fraudsters”.
Authorities promise that the women will be treated as Kuwaiti and can avail all social benefits but have lost any political rights.
- PTC NEWS
