Suzan El Tahhan Bidoons: A Statelessness Plight in Kuwait ‫مجلة الدراسات القانونية واالقتصادية‬ In other cases, families have split because the child of a Kuwaiti woman (and Bidoon man) can acquire citizenship upon the parents' divorce. This provides an incentive for couples to separate. Some examples of this practice have been identified. Such action will evidently have severe consequences for the continuing enjoyment of family life.35 Musaed Al-Shammari, a Bidoons rights activist, told Human Rights Watch, "When we want to get married, we raise a case against our [prospective] wife, or her father. The judge will ask, 'Is this your wife?' and we say yes, and then we have an official court document proving the relationship…. This is how I was married." 36 4- Difficulty Accessing Documentation: It is often the country of nationality, which is tasked with providing documents. Indeed, for many years, Kuwait did not offer or renew identity papers to its Bidoons population. However, the issuance of documents was resumed in March 2006, so the situation is being addressed. Bidoons in Kuwait may generally obtain only singleuse documents and then only in exceptional circumstances such as to travel to Mecca for Hajj or for medical treatment that is proven to be both necessary and unavailable in Kuwait.37 Possession of a civil identification card (ID) also indicates the degree of accessibility to the health services since this card is required for most services and may be used as an alternative to the health registration card. Most Bidoons (94%) have not been issued ID cards and must use some other form of identification such 35 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), The situation of stateless persons in the Middle East and North Africa, October 2010, P.28, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4cea28072.html [accessed 22 December 2015]. 36 Human Rights Watch, Prisoners of the Past: Kuwaiti Bidoons and the Burden of Statelessness, 13 June 2011, P.28, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4df7191b2.html [accessed 23 December 2015] 37 UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), The situation of stateless persons in the Middle East and North Africa, October 2010, P.17, available at: http://www.refworld.org/docid/4cea28072.html [accessed 23 December 2015]. 17