Human Rights Watch welcomes Kuwait's acceptance of 206 recommendations including to repeal the "kafala" (sponsorship) system and replace it with residence permits for domestic workers.
However, we regret Kuwait's decision to reject key recommendations to address its deteriorating human rights situation. These include calls to reduce statelessness, abolish the death penalty, eliminate all forms of discrimination against women including by amending nationality laws to ensure women pass citizenship to children and spouses on an equal basis with men, protect freedom of expression, safeguard the rights of all migrant workers and their families, uphold reproductive rights, and respect the rights of LGBT people.
Kuwait also dismissed recommendations on addressing the recent massive revocation of Kuwaiti citizenship. Amendments to the Nationality Law stripped more than 30,000 people, mainly women, of their citizenship, leaving them without documentation, travel rights, access to essential services, or proper medical care.
Kuwait also dismissed all recommendations aimed at preventing statelessness and resolving the situation of the Bidun. Thousands of nationality claims have been denied, with Bidun people officially categorized as "illegal residents" and denied equal access to services.
Kuwait also rejected multiple recommendations to end gender-based discrimination against women. Personal status laws continue to disadvantage women in marriage, divorce, child custody, and inheritance. Women require a male guardian's permission to marry and face limited grounds to seek divorce. Kuwaiti women married to non-Kuwaitis are still barred from conferring nationality to their children or spouses on equal terms with men.
Human Rights Watch urges Kuwait to create a transparent process to determine citizenship claims, to fully implement the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to take concrete steps to protect freedom of expression for all both offline and online, and ensure that human rights defenders and independent media can operate freely and without fear of reprisals, and to abolish the death penalty.
