Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of 69 individuals under two recently issued decrees published in the country’s Official Gazette, as part of an ongoing nationwide review of nationality records that has already affected tens of thousands.
According to the Gazette, **Decree No. 242 of 2025** strips 65 individuals of Kuwaiti nationality, including those who obtained citizenship through them. **Decree No. 243 of 2025** targets four additional individuals and their dependants.
Authorities say the measures are based on Kuwait’s Nationality Law, which permits revocation in cases involving fraud, forged documents, false statements, possession of an unauthorized second nationality, or conduct deemed harmful to state security or the nation’s “supreme interests.”
Recent legal reforms, including **Decree 116/2024**, have further expanded the grounds for withdrawal and clarified that dependants who derived nationality from the affected individuals may also lose their citizenship.
Officials frame the revocations as part of a broader crackdown on “forged nationalities” and illegal naturalizations. However, rights groups and affected families warn that losing citizenship can quickly render individuals stateless, with serious consequences for their ability to travel, work, pursue education, and access essential services.
Critics also raise concerns that the scale and speed of the revocations could undermine due process and create long-term legal uncertainty.