At least 50,000 people — and possibly as many as 200,000 — have lost their Kuwaiti citizenship over just 16 months, as part of an unprecedented denaturalisation campaign in the Gulf state.
The move has left tens of thousands effectively stateless, triggering growing concern over civil rights and political stability in Kuwait.
The mass revocations began in September 2024 after the Emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, suspended parliament and key constitutional articles governing citizenship. The new legislation was presented as a way to “clean up” alleged fraud in the nationality registry. In a March speech, the Emir vowed to “deliver Kuwait to its original people clean and free from impurities,” language that critics say signals an ideological purge rather than a technical legal review.
Many of those affected reportedly include long-naturalized citizens, members of prominent families, and individuals with no other nationality — raising fears of a dramatic expansion of the long-standing stateless Bidun population.
