Expatriate Doctor Sentenced for Citizenship Fraud in Kuwait

Jail

A Kuwaiti criminal court has sentenced an expatriate female doctor to five years in prison for citizenship fraud. The doctor, an Arab national whose original nationality was not disclosed, was found guilty of impersonating a Kuwaiti citizen by using a stolen passport. She altered her facial features extensively to resemble the Kuwaiti man whose passport she had stolen.

The fraud was uncovered when immigration officials became suspicious of her accent upon her arrival in Kuwait from her home country, as reported by Kuwaiti newspaper Al Rai. Subsequent investigations revealed that the defendant, a gynecologist, had set up a clinic to treat drug addicts, where she accessed the passports of some patients, including her victim.

This case emerges amid Kuwait's intensified efforts to combat citizenship fraud. In recent months, Kuwait, a nation of approximately 4.8 million people, predominantly foreigners, has revoked the citizenship of hundreds of individuals due to fraud or dual nationality, according to media reports.

The Kuwaiti Interior Ministry has established a hotline for reporting cases of citizenship obtained through forgery. The General Directorate of Nationality and Travel Documents has urged the public to report any information on forged or dual nationality cases, assuring whistleblowers of full confidentiality.

Under Kuwaiti naturalization law, citizenship can be withdrawn if obtained through fraud, false statements, or if the holder is convicted of a dishonoring crime or breach of trust within the first 15 years of acquiring citizenship.