Kuwait has revoked the citizenship of nearly 50,000 people in a sweeping crackdown on illegal nationality claims, the country’s First Deputy Prime Minister and Interior Minister Sheikh Fahad Yousef Saud Al-Sabah confirmed. Speaking to Al-Qabas newspaper, he revealed that multiple “fraudsters” were identified in coordination with several countries.

The minister said all citizenship records in Kuwait are under review — even those belonging to current and former MPs and ministers.

According to UAE-based The National, the campaign is mainly targeting foreigners who obtained Kuwaiti citizenship through illegal means. More than a year ago, Kuwait’s highest citizenship committee began reviewing such cases to determine who was legally eligible. Many of those stripped of citizenship have already had their names made public.

Since the intensified drive began earlier this year, around 50,000 people have lost their citizenship. The Interior Minister also announced plans to introduce a new electronic nationality certificate soon.

Kuwait does not allow dual citizenship, meaning anyone granted Kuwaiti nationality must renounce their previous one. The country’s total population is about 5 million, with the majority being foreign nationals.

The main goal of this initiative is to cancel citizenship obtained through fraud. However, in some cases, the minister admitted, nationality was revoked for reasons tied to “higher interests of the state.” Citizenship in Kuwait is automatically passed from fathers to their children, but a high-level committee, appointed by the Interior Minister, can also grant nationality to foreigners under specific conditions.

Reports note that decades ago, many foreigners were granted citizenship for their contributions to Kuwait’s development. Yet, the issue has long been contentious, particularly due to the unresolved status of around 120,000 stateless people — known as Bidoon — a humanitarian and political problem that has remained unsolved for decades due to legal and political complications.