Kuwait strips naturalised citizens of voting rights

Kuwait's emir has approved a decree on Sunday that prohibits naturalized citizens from voting, two years after dissolving parliament and initiating a mass citizenship stripping campaign. Previously, naturalized Kuwaitis were eligible to vote 30 years after obtaining the nationality, but they were barred from running for office or holding appointed positions.

The decree, reported by Kuwait's official KUNA news agency, stipulates that individuals who acquired Kuwaiti nationality through naturalization will no longer possess the right to vote, contest elections, or be appointed to any parliamentary body. Starting in 2024, Kuwait embarked on a campaign of mass citizenship revocations, affecting tens of thousands of people.

The revocations were presented as part of a reformist agenda led by the Kuwaiti emir, who dissolved parliament and suspended parts of the constitution five months after assuming power in December 2023. The policy, aimed at restricting nationality to those with blood ties to the oil-rich nation, has reshaped Kuwaiti identity and potentially reduced its electorate after years of political turmoil, according to analysts.