The withdrawal of citizenship from any citizen is a sovereign right that no individual or entity, inside or outside Kuwait, has the right to object to. Kuwait has a law that is enforced, and the people accept it. This is the nature of such fateful decisions related to national security.
Despite the sympathy shown by some people towards those whose citizenship was revoked, there was particularly intense sympathy directed toward certain religious figures or opportunists among them. These individuals included those known for collecting donations and claiming to send preachers to various countries around the world to promote Islam.
Among them was one whose last campaign took place during the World Cup, during which he reportedly collected large sums of money but failed to convert anyone to Islam because he didn’t actually send any preachers anywhere. I did not observe similar sympathy for those who served the state, far more than for the religious opportunists.
Racists played a part in fueling discord, spreading hostility, and exacerbating the suffering of those who lost their citizenship. One such individual undermined the value of state sovereignty and the concept of citizenship when he insisted on reducing nationality to the enjoyment of its privileges. This individual demanded that those whose citizenship was revoked should be content with the benefits they had received throughout their years of naturalization. Governments around the world have the right to revoke the citizenship of their citizens or grant it to others.
The degree of strictness or leniency varies from one country to another for several reasons. China, India, and Japan, for example, are not lenient in granting citizenship to foreigners, while Egypt is among the more lenient cases. China does not grant citizenship easily, as it is often required that the applicant have Chinese relatives. China also does not allow dual citizenship, and the procedures for obtaining citizenship are limited and bureaucratic. India does not allow dual citizenship but grants citizenship to those of Indian descent.
Naturalized citizens are not entitled to vote. Some countries, such as certain Caribbean nations and the Comoros Islands, use the granting of citizenship as a primary source of income. Japan is considered one of the most difficult countries in the world from which to obtain citizenship, with specific requirements, including proficiency in the Japanese language. I believe the recent fundamental amendments to the citizenship law will place Kuwait among the most difficult countries in the world from which to obtain citizenship.
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In a notable development, the British Home Secretary, who is of Pakistani origin, revoked the citizenship of British citizen Mark Bullen, a former British police officer, on grounds related to national security, after he decided to marry and reside in Russia. This was carried out under a law that grants the Home Secretary the authority to revoke citizenship, with the affected individual retaining the right to appeal to the courts. The law was enacted in 1981. The US Department of Justice has identified 384 Americans born abroad whose citizenship is subject to revocation, as part of efforts to expedite the process. The administration of US President Donald Trump is also seeking to repeal the law that grants citizenship to anyone born on US soil.
By Ahmad alsarraf
email: [email protected]
email: [email protected]
