Kuwait amends nationality law

KUWAIT CITY: The Kuwaiti Cabinet on Wednesday approved a draft decree-law amending several provisions of Amiri Decree No. 15 of 1959 concerning the Kuwaiti Nationality Law, introducing stricter penalties for nationality fraud, electronic nationality certificates and political restrictions on naturalized citizens.

The approval came during the Cabinet’s weekly meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Ahmad Abdullah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

Article One: Amendments to Existing Provisions

The article replaces Clause 4 of Article 14 and Article 19 of the 1959 decree with the following:

Article 14, Clause 4: If an individual intentionally adds to their nationality file or the file of another person, an individual who is not among their children or descendants, and this is proven through an investigation by the Supreme Committee for Investigating Kuwaiti Nationality or a final judicial ruling, nationality may be revoked from any of their children or descendants if it is proven they were aware of the fraud.

Article 19: The Minister of Interior shall grant every Kuwaiti a certificate of nationality after verifying its validity in accordance with the law.

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The certificate will be issued in digital form. The Minister will issue a decision on the technical and technological controls and conditions for issuing, preserving, using, verifying the authenticity of, and canceling or suspending the electronic certificate.

Article Two: Political Restrictions on Naturalized Citizens

A person who has acquired Kuwaiti nationality through naturalization shall not have the right to vote, run for office, or be appointed to any legislative body.

Article Three: Legal Validity of Electronic Certificates

The electronic nationality certificate will have the same legal validity and effect as the traditional nationality certificate.

It will replace the paper certificate for the purposes of applying all laws, decrees and regulations currently in force.

The draft decree-law will now proceed through the legislative process before coming into effect.