A/HRC/10/34
page 9
been registered in accordance with the Civil Code, after reaching 18 years of age shall be
accorded Iranian citizenship within one year, irrespective of residence conditions required in the
Civil Code.
Jamaica
29. The Government of Jamaica has not taken any discriminatory measures or enacted any
discriminatory laws that would arbitrarily deprive persons of their nationality, particularly when
such laws could render persons stateless. The Government also indicated that the Constitution of
Jamaica makes express provision for entitlement to citizenship before and after the date of
independence. Additionally, the Constitution of Jamaica prohibits the deprivation of citizenship
acquired by birth, descent or marriage to a Jamaican citizen. Persons who acquire citizenship by
other means may be deprived of such citizenship but in the circumstances prescribed by law and
not in an arbitrary manner.
Kuwait
30. The Government of Kuwait stated that, according to the Constitution of Kuwait, all
citizens are equal before the law. According to the Government, following the application of the
Law on Entry of Foreigners, there have been certain groups of persons claiming to be Kuwaiti
citizens. These persons have not been granted Kuwaiti citizenship because they could not prove
to be Kuwaiti nationals. According to the Government, many of these persons may have had
foreign passports and entered Kuwait legally or illegally and subsequently hid their passports and
claimed to be Kuwaiti nationals. According to the law, they are considered as illegal residents.
The Government stated that an Executive Committee on Illegal Residents has been created to
tackle this situation. The Committee has registered 92,667 cases of illegal residents. In any case,
the Government indicated that health and education services are provided to all residents
irrespective of their nationality. All persons enjoy the right to work and right to register their
marriage and to obtain birth certificates, travel documents and driving licences.
31. The Government of Kuwait stated that there are no restrictions on the exercise of the right
to a nationality. The Law on Nationality is based on international law principles. According to
the Law on Nationality, Kuwaiti citizenship is obtained at birth if the father is a Kuwaiti
national. Children born to female Kuwaitis married to foreigners are not considered Kuwaiti
citizens. Nevertheless, permanent residents may consider applying for Kuwaiti citizenship with
the Ministry of Interior. According to Kuwaiti law, dual nationality is not recognized. Kuwaiti
citizens that adopt a foreign nationality lose their Kuwaiti citizenship. According to the Law on
Nationality, Kuwait has adopted the necessary measures to reduce the number of stateless
persons in Kuwait. In this respect, a number of legal residents are naturalized every year, in
accordance with an annual quota. The Government informed that on the day of its submission, a
total of 928 persons had been given Kuwaiti citizenship in 2008.
Mauritius
32. The Government of Mauritius stated that, according to articles 20 (3) and 23 of the
Constitution, people may obtain Mauritian citizenship by birth or by descent. They obtain
Mauritian citizenship if they were born in Mauritius before 1 September 2005 of either Mauritian
or foreign parents, or if they are were born in Mauritius after September 2005 if either of the