COVID-19 and the Bidoon in Kuwait who remain at home with no employment. 49 However, they were among the first to respond when the crisis began. 50 These actions were praised by the public and perceived as heroic acts in light of the oppressions they endure. 51 It was hoped by many Bidoon that these actions would enable the state to see the value of the frontline workers and graduates and lead to naturalisation, 52 as many states, including France and Canada, took similar actions in recognition of their frontline workers and international students. 53 However, no prospect of citizenship has arisen: the volunteers were asked to stop showing up and the employees continue to work in the same pre-pandemic conditions. These employment conditions have discouraged Bidoon graduates from being optimistic about their career prospects in Kuwait. 54 Many graduates and students live with the constant anxiety of never finding a job or working in a setting with terrible conditions. In July 2020, a Bidoon medical student died by suicide. 55 As suicide rates increase, questions arise as to the severity of the conditions that the Bidoon live with in Kuwait. The Government’s stance on the Bidoon during a time of crisis reveals that they will continue to marginalise the Bidoon and have no interest in naturalising them. Just prior to COVID-19, the Speaker of the Kuwaiti Parliament, Marzouq AlGhanim, attempted to pass a new law that would further entrench the Bidoon as illegal residents and require they identify as their presumed foreign nationalities in order to have access to rights. 56 The law was proposed in response to public critique about the failure of the administration, as it was presumed that they would solve the ‘Bidoon problem’ within five years of initiation but has instead only complicated the issue. However, the law only makes official what the Central Apparatus is already doing informally. Al-Ghanim claimed that the law would ensure the Bidoon receive ‘humanitarian’ treatment and have rights, without 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 Thomas McGee, ‘The COVID-19 Crisis and New Agency for Stateless Bidoon in Kuwait’, London School of Economics Blog (Blog Post, 27 April 2020) <https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/mec/2020/04/27/the-covid-19-crisis-and-new-agency-for-statelessbidoon-in-kuwait/>; Conversation with Bidoon activists (n 11). McGee (n 49). ibid. ibid. See, eg, ‘France Grants Citizenship to over 2,000 Foreign Workers for Covid-19 Response’, France24 (online, 5 May 2021) <https://www.france24.com/en/france/20210505-francegrants-citizenship-to-over-2-000-foreign-workers-for-covid-19-response>. ‘New Pathway to Permanent Residency for over 90,000 Essential Temporary Workers and International Graduates’, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (online, 14 April 2021) <https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/2021/04/new-pathwayto-permanent-residency-for-over-90000-essential-temporary-workers-and-internationalgraduates.html>. Conversation with Bidoon activists (n 11). The New Arab Staff, ‘Stateless Kuwait Student’s Suicide Attempt Leads to Outcry in Gulf State’, The New Arab (online, 24 June 2020) <https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/statelesskuwait-students-suicide-attempt-leads-outcry>. Yasmena Al Mulla, ‘Kuwait: MPs Do Not Show Up for Controversial Bidoon Law Session’, Gulf News (online, 20 October 2020]) <https://gulfnews.com/world/gulf/kuwait/kuwait-mpsdo-not-show-up-for-controversial-bidoon-law-session-1.1603213775130>. 129