Kuwait continues to tighten citizenship rules
New rules bar naturalized citizens from voting and replace paper nationality certificates with electronic ones.
Kuwait has intensified its citizenship rules with the introduction of new regulations on Sunday, which prohibit naturalized citizens from voting and replace traditional nationality certificates with electronic ones. Naturalized citizens, who previously could vote after holding citizenship for 30 years but were barred from running for office or holding parliamentary positions, now face stricter limitations.
The emir recently dissolved the parliament in May 2024, leading to a regulatory overhaul that has resulted in the stripping of citizenship from at least 50,000 individuals. Authorities claim some of these individuals had dual nationality, which is illegal for Kuwaitis, while others obtained citizenship through fraudulent means; however, rights groups argue that the government has targeted political opponents as well.
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