Kuwait Unravels Massive Citizenship Fraud: 978 Lose Nationality in Historic Case
A routine nationality review in Kuwait has unexpectedly uncovered one of the most extensive citizenship fraud cases in the country's history. What began as a standard administrative procedure has escalated into a major investigation, resulting in the withdrawal of Kuwaiti nationality from nearly a thousand individuals who were falsely registered as dependents.
The Extraordinary Scale of a Single File
According to reports from Arab Times Kuwait, this unprecedented case centers on a single citizenship file belonging to a man born in the 1930s who acquired Kuwaiti nationality in 1965 and passed away several years ago. During a detailed examination by Kuwait's Nationality Investigation Department, authorities discovered something astonishing: this file contained close to 1,200 registered dependents, an alarmingly high number that immediately triggered suspicion and further scrutiny.
The subsequent investigation confirmed that 978 individuals linked to this file had been fraudulently registered as dependents, leading to the immediate withdrawal of their Kuwaiti citizenship. Additionally, five more individuals connected to the same file have gone into hiding and now face the imminent loss of their nationality after repeatedly failing to respond to official summonses.
Family Structure and DNA Verification Process
The deceased man at the center of this case had six wives and 44 children, creating a complex family structure that required meticulous examination. Investigators examined each child's registration separately, with DNA fingerprinting emerging as the crucial tool for distinguishing legitimate family members from fraudulent additions.
Authorities were able to utilize a preserved DNA sample of the deceased man, collected during an earlier official transaction. This genetic record proved decisive in the investigation. DNA testing confirmed that while some registered children were indeed his biological sons and daughters, others had been falsely added under fabricated claims of lineage.
The impact of this discovery extended far beyond the immediate family. Once the false registrations were identified, the review expanded to include the children and grandchildren of those wrongly listed, ultimately bringing the total number of people stripped of citizenship to approximately 978 individuals.
Fugitives and Legal Consequences
Five individuals connected to the file remain unaccounted for, including four women with no dependents and one unmarried man. All five are being actively sought for DNA testing to verify their claims of lineage to the original citizenship holder.
With their continued refusal to appear before authorities, the Supreme Nationality Committee is considering withdrawing their citizenship solely based on non-compliance. Officials have made it clear that if any of these individuals surface in the future, the burden of proof for legitimacy will rest entirely with them. This proof would require DNA comparison with the preserved genetic sample of their alleged father.
Until such verification is provided, their absence and failure to cooperate legally place them in the category of forgers, subject to the full consequences of Kuwait's nationality laws.
No Evidence Against Original Citizenship Holder
Despite the unprecedented scale of fraud uncovered through this investigation, officials have emphasized that there is currently no evidence suggesting the original citizenship holder himself forged his nationality. Investigators believe his file was later exploited by others, eventually becoming the foundation for what has become one of the most extensive dependency fraud cases in Kuwait's history.
This landmark case continues to be cited by Kuwaiti authorities as a stark example of how systematic reviews and forensic tools are reshaping nationality enforcement in the country. The successful use of DNA evidence in particular demonstrates how modern investigative techniques can unravel complex fraud schemes that might have otherwise remained undetected.
The Kuwaiti government's decisive action in this matter sends a strong message about its commitment to maintaining the integrity of its citizenship system and preventing fraudulent claims that undermine national security and social stability.
