S TAT E L E S S B Y D E C R E E I M AN — A C C U S E D O F H O L D I N G D U A L N AT I O N A L I T Y Iman (pseudonym) was accused of holding dual nationality by the Ministry of Interior. Born in Kuwait and having married a Kuwaiti citizen at 22, she became a naturalised citizen in 2006, but divorced in 2013. She explained that the court recognised that domestic abuse occurred in her marriage. In December 2024, she said, her name appeared on an “unpublished list [possibly Kuwait al-Yooum, the Official Gazette] and her nationality was revoked for alleged dual nationality and fraud.” She spoke in an open, online public forum in February 2025 and asserted that she would regain her nationality “through the law”. The government accused her of “insulting the state” and “challenging the government.” We are not aware of her current legal status with regard to her nationality or possible criminal charges. “anyone can threaten me, and I can’t defend myself.” K A R IM A , N AT U R A L IS E D I N 2 0 1 5 , E F F E C T IV E LY S TAT E L E S S A S O F AUG US T 2025 Karima (pseudonym), born in Kuwait to Jordanian parents, was naturalised in 2015 and renounced her Jordanian citizenship, in line with the law: Jordanian officials placed a “cancelled” stamp on her passport and nullified her civil records. She found that following the revocation of her Kuwaiti citizenship, she became vulnerable to forms of exploitation and abuse. A man with whom she had a KD6,000 (US$19,508) contract demanded immediate repayment, threatening her. She repaid him under duress, fearing deportation in the context of no effective legal redress. She said that she had become “easy prey”; and that “anyone can threaten me, and I can't defend myself.” As of August 2025, she is effectively stateless, unable to leave Kuwait while reinstatement of her Jordanian nationality requires the intervention and support of a male relative - all of whom she said were deceased; continuous residency in Jordan for two years and a fee of 10,000 (not clear in Jordanian or Kuwait). The Kuwaiti authorities nevertheless required that she obtain a new passport within six months along with certificates of “good conduct”. She stated that this was “near impossible” and that it had induced thoughts of self-harm amidst despair over her fate. On 29 May 2025 the government posted on X (formerly Twitter), a screenshot of the “Organising procedures for adjusting the status of withdrawn women who hold nationalities in accordance with Article Eight of the Kuwaiti Nationality Law”. 101 It stated that the impacted: • Would be able to “[T]ravel using previous Kuwaiti passports will be permitted from June 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025, to assist in adjusting their status.” 40

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