Bidoons : a statelessness plight in Kuwait

Abstract EN

Bidoon is an Arabic word that translates to "without".

the term stemmed from "Bidoon Jinsiya" or "without citizenship".

according to a human rights watch report that dates back to 1995, Kuwait has a system of institutionalized discrimination against Bidoon that has intensified with the Iraqi invasion in 1990.

Bidoons passed through a series of discriminatory uprising stages that deprived them of their fundamental right to work, travel, get married or receive any education.

consequently, most Bidoon suffer from poverty, illiteracy, and being targeted by the Kuwaiti government either for deportation or arbitrary arrest.

even though Bidoons enjoy protection either under the 1954 convention on statelessness or under the 1951 convention on the status of refugee, such protection represents a temporary means to overcome the difficult living conditions Bidoon must face every day.

until Kuwait gets to comply with its international obligations and grant Bidoon the Kuwaiti nationality, we will not reach a final radical solution.

in this paper, I study the conflict between international law and the widespread discriminatory culture against Bidoons in Kuwait.

hereof, I focus on three main aspects of this plight : first, the background of the extensive bigotry course of action against Bidoon in Kuwait ; second, the legal status of Bidoon whether nationally or internationally; and third, I would test the best durable solutions as well as the possibility of resolving the Bidoon paradox inside Kuwait.

throughout my study, i discuss the concept of "cultural appropriation" and present it as one of the most effective approaches to end this discriminatory legacy.

the research is an analytical study with a qualitative approach.

my main target using such methodologies is to present an applied paper proposing a socio-legal detailed study of the Bidoon predicament.

I hope this paper contributes to UNHCR's IBELONG campaign that aims at ending statelessness worldwide.