ChChapter 2: Origins and influences of nationality law and the Bidoon in Kuwait. Early on in the Syrian crisis, with the stateless community participating actively in demonstrations against the regime, a decree was passed to allow the naturalisation of a large number of stateless Kurds in the hope of quelling any further protest from this group. As a result, Syria actually topped the chart for the reduction of statelessness in 2011 when, according to the government, some 79,000 people acquired nationality.93 Kuwait’s stateless community, similarly inspired by the events around the region, also took to the streets in protest against their situation. There, a true policy shift has yet to be achieved, but the level of interest in the plight of Bidoon has reached new heights and new actors have been drawn in to champion their cause,94 as continued demonstrations with significant media coverage keep the pressure on the state to explore solutions. In Egypt and Jordan too, there is evidence that the setting of the Arab Revolution has reportedly also contributed to the empowerment of groups affected by the country’s nationality laws. In Egypt, this helped to address the final gap in terms of discrimination against women in the transmission of nationality to their children – namely in cases where 93 - UNHCR, Note on Statelessness, EC/64/SC/CRP.11, 4 June 2013, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/51d2a8884.html. 94 See, for instance, the activities by Group29, https://group29q8. org/?p=940. 77