Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef directs crackdown on fictitious addresses across Kuwait

• The Public Authority for Civil Information received complaints from property owners about individuals and families registered at their homes without their knowledge over many years.

• The authority took steps to summon these individuals and clarify the situation regarding the tampered residential addresses. Every property owner or resident would receive a notification via the ‘Sahel’ application to update their address. Failure to comply within two months would result in a fine of 20 dinars per month, along with legal proceedings.

In his efforts to uphold the state’s prestige and enforce law and order across its territories, Sheikh Fahd Al-Yousef First Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Defense, and Minister of Interior, has directed the Public Authority for Civil Information to conduct a thorough survey of residential areas in all governorates. This initiative targets individuals using fictitious addresses, coordinating closely with property owners to ensure accurate address registrations, as reported by Al-Jarida newspaper.

The sources revealed that manipulation involving fictitious addresses came to light due to cases and crimes committed by individuals, whether citizens or residents, including violations of residency laws. When authorities attempted to apprehend them at their registered residential addresses in the “Civil Information,” they found them absent. This scrutiny led to the cancellation of thousands of addresses, predominantly belonging to expatriates, after confirming their non-residency.

Furthermore, the sources stated that the authority received complaints from property owners about individuals and families registered at their homes without their knowledge over many years.

Consequently, the authority took steps to summon these individuals and clarify the situation regarding the tampered residential addresses. It was explained that every property owner or resident would receive a notification via the ‘Sahel’ application to update their address. Failure to comply within two months would result in a fine of 20 dinars per month, along with legal proceedings.

The sources noted that periodic inspections of the “Civil Information” also led to the detection of thousands of residency violators who were not found at their registered addresses. Some of these individuals were apprehended in labor areas such as Hawalli, Jleeb Al-Shuyoukh, and Mahboula, along with many others facing legal cases.

Reviewing historical data, Al Jarida newspaper highlighted that between 2000 and 2003, a total of 339,851 citizens changed their addresses. This included 66,628 changes in 2000, 120,027 in 2001 and 2002 each, and 89,252 in 2003. While many of these address changes were due to electoral reasons initially, subsequent measures have addressed this issue extensively.

However, what Al Jarida newspaper is keen to highlight is the significant registration of expatriates at addresses where they do not reside, posing a security threat to the country and complicating the task of Interior Ministry officials in apprehending residency violators.

Crisis brews as residential address cancellations overwhelm appointment system

Al Jarida learned from its sources that the high volume of residential address cancellations, which reached significant levels, created a crisis for recipients of cancellation notices who were unable to secure appointments to visit the Public Authority for Civil Information due to overwhelming demand. The sources added that individuals attempting to schedule appointments via the ‘Sahel’ application to update their residential address with the authority would find all branches fully booked.

Under Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousef’s directives, the Public Authority for Civil Information began a comprehensive survey across Kuwait, starting with densely populated expatriate areas. It surveyed all types of housing—private, investment, and commercial—contacting plot owners to verify registered names. This effort unexpectedly resulted in thousands of residential address cancellations. Recipients were notified via the ‘Sahel’ app to visit the authority within a month to update their housing status, preventing civil ID card suspensions and legal consequences.

Government sources informed Al-Jarida that after the Civil Information Department cancelled thousands of addresses for citizens and expatriates across all governorates, they discovered significant address manipulation.

A comprehensive survey revealed issues with identifying residents at registered addresses, including complaints from property owners about unauthorized names listed on their properties for years. The Civil Information Authority has initiated summonses to clarify these discrepancies and address tampering concerns.

The sources confirmed that manipulation of residential addresses surged during periods of electoral restrictions preceding National Assembly elections. Many citizen voters would alter their addresses to support a particular candidate, as voting was tied to the residential address on their civil ID cards. However, they often reverted to their original addresses once elections concluded.

The sources revealed that some individuals and families move to new locations but retain their old addresses, violating Civil Information decisions. This practice disrupts the accuracy of matching residents with their actual locations. Moreover, there are cases where heirs sell their deceased father’s house but retain the old address, leading to an inflated registration of names exceeding the property’s capacity. The new system aims to enforce continuous updates of residence data for citizens and residents, aiming to curb address manipulation and eliminate fictitious addresses.

Sources said that the authority prohibits spouses from having dual addresses; the wife must be registered under the husband’s address. In cases of separation or divorce, the divorced woman’s address is updated to reflect her new residence. Children are registered under the father’s address, except for those in the custody of the divorced mother, whose addresses are registered based on court rulings.

Authority Procedures

Recent procedures of the Civil Information Authority emphasize strict adherence to regulations for changing residential addresses. This includes rigorous application of conditions and rules set by the Board of Directors, alongside robust internal control systems. Measures include thorough data entry, review, and audit processes, as well as document validation, with applicants required to provide fingerprints to verify their presence, implemented since January 2019.

Also, in January 2020, property owners were required to provide their fingerprints to confirm their awareness of the residents living on their property. If the applicant is the property owner, they must personally visit the Civil Registry Department office and bring along the property document.

Procedures for registering or changing residential addresses also entail the individual signing a residence declaration. Requests to change addresses are then forwarded to the Review and Follow-up Department, where submitted documents are reviewed for compliance. This process includes verifying the fingerprints of the individual and the property owner.

After ensuring the integrity and accuracy of all procedures, the civil card is issued. Any deficiencies in procedures or required documents automatically halt the transaction and prevent issuance.

The Data Protection Department manages historical records of all data inquiries and modifications in the civil information system, including address change transactions, for reference when addressing complaints or reported violations by concerned parties. The inquiry service launched by the Civil Information Authority on residents’ data for property owners has significantly simplified processes, allowing them to view, verify accuracy, and file complaints automatically in case of incorrect data.

However, many property owners did not benefit from this service launched by the authority in 2018, possibly due to their lack of awareness or other reasons. Some discovered through this service that names were registered under their properties without their knowledge, prompting the authority to take immediate action in such cases.

The number of cases in which citizens’ residential addresses did not change back to their previous addresses during 2018 amounted to about 25,988 cases, while 364 cases saw addresses revert to previous ones for citizens who reached the age of 21. It’s noted that changes in residential addresses apply to all family members.

To curb abnormal increases in resident numbers and types in homes, the authority’s regulations prevent adding more than four families to one residence without approval from the Director of the Administration, based on property nature or area. Cases are reviewed by the Committee of Rules and Procedures for Registering Citizens’ Addresses in the Civil Information System for detailed consideration and decision-making.

The authority lacks judicial police capacity and the ability to conduct field inspections inside homes. Its role is confined to verifying documents and adhering to terms and conditions for residential address transactions.

Despite banning bachelors from residing in model residential areas to prevent their address registration and civil card issuance there, local complaints suggest otherwise. Nevertheless, the Civil Information Authority, collaborating with various government bodies, has the opportunity to rectify the issue by accurately registering expatriates’ private addresses, thus addressing a national security concern.

Cancellation notice recipients face delays at Civil Information Authority

Due to a high volume of residential address cancellations, as reported by Al Jarida from its sources, individuals who received cancellation notices are struggling to secure appointments at the Public Authority for Civil Information. Those using the ‘Sahel’ application to schedule appointments for address changes with the authority find that all available slots across branches are currently unavailable.