The husband will stay, send the wife away… Why did Kuwait take away the citizenship of 42 thousand people overnight?
In just six months, Kuwait has stripped the citizenship of about 42,000 people. This action has been initiated under the leadership of Kuwait's new Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah. The government claims that this step has been taken against those foreigners who had acquired Kuwaiti citizenship illegally.
As soon as the power changed in Kuwait, there was turmoil in the country's politics and society. The tough decisions of the new Emir Mishal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah have increased concern among the public. Recently, the government cancelled the citizenship of more than 42,000 people, due to which there is an atmosphere of fear across the country.
In May 2024, the Emir dissolved the parliament, calling democracy a threat to the state, and announced amendments to the constitution. After this, the government started cracking down on the opposition. Arrests of MPs and common citizens increased, which has been termed as repressive by international human rights organizations.
Women are also among those who lost citizenship
The biggest impact of the government's decision has been on those who got Kuwaiti citizenship after marriage. Especially those women who became citizens after marrying Kuwaiti men, are now completely powerless. After losing citizenship, they have been deprived of government health services, children's education and social benefits.
According to media reports from the Middle East, 464 citizens lost their citizenship on March 6 alone. Of these, 12 people lost their citizenship on charges of dual citizenship and 451 people lost their citizenship due to alleged fraud. Dual citizenship is considered illegal in Kuwait, and now the government is strictly enforcing it.
The Bidun community is also affected by the decision
Already around 1 lakh people of the Bidun community are living in Kuwait without any official identity. Now with this new policy of revoking citizenship, more people have become citizens. According to the report, his passport was confiscated at the airport and his father's citizenship was also revoked. The government is calling this decision necessary for the security and economy of the country. The government has even started a helpline to inform people about fake citizens.
According to the report, to justify its campaign against foreign nationals, the government sometimes makes xenophobic statements that resemble the language of right-wing leaders in the US and Europe. In particular, it is argued that foreign criminals are taking advantage of generous welfare schemes set up for Kuwaitis and should be punished.
PC:TV9Bhartvarsh
