S TAT E L E S S B Y D E C R E E S TAT E L E S S B Y D E C R E E More recently, for a 2024 example of this premise, Ar ticle 1 of the two-ar ticle, Decree Law 158/2024 of 31 December 2024 states, in par t, that nationality decisions are made by, for example, the Council of Ministers, and that “ This decision shall not be subject to appeal under any circumstances.” 38 Kuwait's 1959 Nationality Law and amendments made in December 2024 and April 2026 Kuwait Law No. 2/1948 was the f irst def inition of Kuwaiti Nationality Law. In 1948 Kuwait was a British-protected state and the 1948 law was influenced by the UK Nationality Act of the same year: it had rights based on bir th in Kuwait although not unconditional, insofar as the subject had to remain resident until majority. One repor t stated that the 1948 law was not applied since it did not come into force yet it informed and shaped the 1959 Nationality Law, Amiri Decree Law 15/1959. According to Ar ticle 1 of the 1959 legislation, criteria for eligibility was continued presence in Kuwait since 1920: an enduring, highly restrictive def inition of who qualif ies for citizenship, layered in subsequent years by fur ther, incremental restrictions: 39 At least seven sets of amendments were made to the National Law between 1960 and 1987, including restrictions limiting the number of naturalisations that could take place each year to 50 in 1960, the removal a Kuwaiti womanʼs ability to transmit her citizenship to her children in 1980, and a specif ication that only Muslims qualify for Kuwaiti nationality in 1981. 40 These include, inter alia, Decree Law 30/1970; 100/1980, 1/1982 and 40/1987. 41 In 1985, the government began applying provisions of the Alien Residence Law, 17/1959 to the Bidoon, stripping them of previously held rights and benef its: up to that point the authorities considered them, in practice, as indistinguishable from Kuwaiti nationals with regards to state benef its and rights. In 1986 the GoK severely restricted Bidun's eligibility for travel documents, and, as recorded by Human Rights Watch: “In 1987 the government began refusing to issue Bidun new or renew driver's licenses or register their cars, and began ending public education for Bidun children and instructing private schools to require valid residency permits. In 1988 the ban on public education was extended to the university, and Kuwaiti clubs and associations were instructed to dismiss their Bidun members.” In 1988, off icials transferred statistical data on the Bidoon from the category of the Kuwaiti to “alien”. 42 Decree laws 116/2024 and 158/2024, repor tedly issued on 23 and 31 December 2024, respectively, amended specif ic aspects of Kuwait ʼs 1959 Nationality Law, Amiri Decree Law 15/1959. 43 OVERVIEW 1121