Kuwait tightens travel rules: Here's how many banned in 2024

The government of Kuwait imposed travel bans on 43,289 individuals, both Kuwaitis and expatriates during the first six months of 2024.

These bans, slapped due to legal disputes or immigration violations, are a significant legal measure, that remain effective until the relevant civil, criminal, or immigration issues are fully resolved.

The data, released by the Ministry of Interior’s Travel Ban Department under the Ministry of Justice, also reveals that during the same period, 25,149 travel ban orders were lifted. Additionally, the Family Court processed 2,825 travel ban cases and recorded 2,672 vehicle impoundments from January to June 2024.

May witnessed the highest number of travel bans with 9,021 orders issued, closely followed by February with 9,006. Other months saw varying figures, with March recording 7,249 orders, January 6,642, June 5,843, and April the lowest with 5,528.

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Further data from the Public Prosecution highlights the nature of the offenses leading to these bans, with 1,716 banking-related cases and 1,216 check misdemeanor cases reported in the first six months of 2024. Common reasons for the imposition of travel bans include unpaid bills, overdue rent, bounced checks, and family court-related expenses.

The geographical distribution of travel ban orders also varied, with the Al Ahmadi governorate leading the tally in January and February with 4,321 orders. Farwaniya followed with 3,641 bans, Hawalli with 2,452, Al-Jahra with 2,381, the Capital with 1,757, and Mubarak Al-Kabeer with 1,096.