Despite its position as one of the
wealthiest economies in the world,
Kuwait is notorious for its
discriminatory treatment of the
Bedoon community. The term
‘Bedoon’, deriving from the Arabic
expression bidūn jinsīya, “without
nationality”, defines men and
women who, despite being born in
Kuwait, are considered “illegal
residents”. The roots of the problem
go back to 1959 when the Kuwaiti
authorities ruled that a number of
Muslim and Arabic-speaking
individuals failed to prove that their
ancestors had settled in Kuwait
before 1920 or that they had been residing in Kuwait for at least 15 years prior to 1959. Therefore, members of this
group were denied their right to claim Kuwaiti citizenship and their descendants were condemned to a condition of
statelessness. It is estimated that there are currently approximately 106,000 documented Bedoon residing in Kuwait.
Bidoon activists: retaliation from the government
In July 2019, activists took to the streets to protest the death of 20-year-old Bedoon Ayed Hamad Moudath. He had
committed suicide after encountering great difficulty to obtain official government documents, thus losing his job.
Following these demonstrations, a dozen protestors, including prominent human rights defender Abdulhakim al-Fadhli,
were arrested by the Kuwaiti authorities. Moudath’s death would have been commemorated a year later through a
peaceful sit-in if it wasn’t for the arrest of the 15 activists who had planned the event. The actions of the Kuwaiti
authorities portray a zero-tolerance policy toward dissent over the situation of stateless individuals in the country.
Rather than complying with its international obligations, the Kuwaiti government continues to punish activists, deeming
them political agitators and accusing them of partaking in illegal demonstrations aimed at destabilising the ruling system
in the country.
Another suicide attempt by a member of the Bedoon community on 11 December 2020 sparked a heated debate at
Kuwait’s Parliamentary Assembly, with lawmakers stating that “they will grill the Prime Minister (…) if the government
does not provide a durable and fair solution to the issue of thousands of stateless people”. Even if there is an increased
awareness on the issue of statelessness in Kuwait, no official or legal advancements have been made to solve the
situation.
Lack of access to services
The enforcement of the Kuwaiti Nationality Law stripped the tens of thousands of Bedoon of their access to public
fundamental services such as public education, legal employment, or healthcare. Indeed, the Bedoon community has
had to rely on private schooling, which is both more expensive and inferior to the public system. Additionally, their lack
of education and restriction on property ownership, as well as Kuwaiti legal provisions on employment, limit the majority
of Bedoon to work in the informal sector. Moreover, their government-attributed “illegal resident” label implies that the
Bedoon are not entitled to public health care, forcing them to pay user fees or low-cost insurance that does not cover
their health care costs, medication, or surgery.
Source: https://www.ecdhr.org/stateless-and-defenceless-the-bidoon-community-in-kuwait/
A Rohingya girl cries as
refugees fleeing from
Myanmar cross a stream in
the hot sun on a muddy rice
field on Oct. 16, 2017 near
Palang Khali,
they are citizens of no
country. Myanmar and
Bangladesh toss their fate
back and forth, even as
Myanmar’s army makes
one thing clear to every
Rohingya they aren’t
raping, murdering, burning, or shooting: “Get out and don’t come back.” For many Rohingya, fleeing became a survival
choice. In the face of violence and with no state to protect them, escaping to Bangladesh offered the only hope.
Crossing rivers, muddy fields, and often using unsafe boats, they risked their lives for the mere possibility of safety and
shelter. The trauma they endure—the loss
The Rohingya people fled Myanmar due to extreme persecution and violence. For years, the Myanmar government
denied the Rohingya citizenship, considering them illegal immigrants despite many having lived in Myanmar for
generations. This lack of legal status left the Rohingya vulnerable to discrimination, limited access to healthcare,
education, and employment, and frequent abuses by authorities.
In 2017, the Myanmar military escalated its campaign against the Rohingya, conducting violent "clearance operations"
in Rakhine state. These operations involved systematic killings, mass rape, village burnings, and other atrocities, which
the United Nations and human rights organizations described as ethnic cleansing and possible genocide. The Rohingya
were given an ultimatum: "leave or be killed." With no protection, no citizenship, and faced with brutal attacks, hundreds
of thousands of Rohingya fled across the border into Bangladesh, seeking refuge and safety. Their departure was a
forced decision, driven by the urgent need to escape violence and persecution in their homeland.