Tsunami of citizenship fraud: Kuwait determined to purge forged nationalities in sweeping move

The Supreme Committee for the Investigation of Kuwaiti Nationality, chaired by Acting Prime Minister Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef, has launched one of the most extensive purges of the citizenship registry in decades, targeting cases involving duplication, forged lineage, fictitious dependents, and fraudulent acquisition of nationality.

Several withdrawals have already been decided, pending final approval by the Council of Ministers.

Officials say the campaign is focused on files showing irregularities — particularly those containing unusually large numbers of dependents, with some listing dozens of children and grandchildren under one record.

Investigations have exposed networks exploiting legal loopholes, fabricated documents, and false affiliations with Kuwaiti families.

Genetic fingerprinting has become the decisive weapon in uncovering the truth, delivering results that cannot be contested.

One of the largest cases centers on a man born in 1954 whose file contained 71 registered individuals — 51 alleged sons and 20 grandchildren — despite evidence proving he is not the original Kuwaiti citizen.

Many of these “children,” born in the 1980s, were only added after the 1990–1991 invasion, particularly in 1993, via court rulings.

National Guard records showed that the man who served from 1973 to 1978 was not the same person later claiming the identity; DNA tests with the deceased original citizen’s family confirmed no relation.

This fraudster, listed as having four wives, ranks third in Kuwait for the most children under one man’s file.

Linked to him are five other falsified “children” of the same deceased citizen, including an “alleged brother” with 64 dependents who renounced another Gulf nationality under a false name and left Kuwait in 2024.

Authorities estimate the total number of fraudulent nationalities connected to this case could exceed 200 once the probe is complete.

Another case emerged from an emotional confession at a police station. A man, in a hysterical state, declared, “I am a forger… I am not my father’s son.”

DNA testing proved otherwise — but the claim prompted a review of the file, revealing a 2011 report about a Kuwaiti citizen with a non-related “son” holding Gulf documents.

This trail led to four Gulf brothers with an inheritance in their home country. One brother convinced the others to invest with a Kuwaiti merchant; the company’s legal representative turned out to be their fourth brother — but under a forged Kuwaiti identity.

He later produced a forged Gulf death certificate claiming that the “Kuwaiti” (himself) had died, causing the case to be dismissed.

Gulf authorities later confirmed the certificate was fake. The man, believing his Kuwaiti persona was officially “dead,” began traveling under his Gulf ID.

His Kuwaiti file lists 34 dependents, none of whom have had official transactions since 2015. The Supreme Committee is preparing to strip his citizenship and all 34 registered “children.”

A third investigation focuses on a man born in 1969 in Syria who assumed the identity of a naturalized Kuwaiti, even securing a position in the Ministry of Defense before retiring.

His elaborate deception began to unravel in May 2025 when a relative’s file was found to be forged.

He fled Kuwait with two sons, first to another Arab country and then to an unknown destination.

His wife — whose Article 8 Kuwaiti citizenship had already been revoked — and three daughters remained in Kuwait.

The DNA tests confirmed that the daughters’ uncles were Syrian, not Kuwaiti, proving the falsified lineage.

The case involves nine individuals tied to the forgery, including the fugitive, his immediate family, and the original Syrian identity holder. All related files are now under close examination.

Authorities stress that these cases represent only part of an ongoing effort to protect Kuwaiti nationality from manipulation.

The review has uncovered decades-old false affiliations, forged documents used to secure benefits, and individuals fleeing the country to avoid exposure.

With genetic fingerprinting providing irrefutable proof, officials vow to continue cleansing the registry so that Kuwaiti citizenship remains a right granted only to those who meet the country’s legal and legitimate criteria.

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