Parliamentary question

Written question to the Vice-President of the Commission and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy

Kuwait has a large stateless population that has faced widespread, systematic repression since the establishment of the State of Kuwait. This population, known in Arabic as bidoon jinsiya, meaning ‘without nationality’ (hereafter ‘the Bidoon’), is a minority in Kuwait. They are estimated to represent 10 % of the total population in the country. Prior to Kuwait’s independence in 1961, the Bidoon were treated equally as Kuwaiti citizens and enjoyed the same freedoms and rights. After independence, they were no longer considered citizens and various laws stripped them of their basic rights, as they were deemed ‘illegal residents’. The Bidoon are systematically deprived of their social and economic rights, such as the right to nationality, the right to education and the right to healthcare.

1. Will the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy ask the Kuwaiti Government to abolish legislation that criminalises peaceful expression of opinion and protest (such as voicing criticism of the Kuwaiti Government’s mistreatment of the Bidoon), including via social media?

2. Will he urge the Government of Kuwait to release all political prisoners imprisoned for defending the rights of the so-called Bidoon community?

Answer given by High Representative and Vice-President Borrell on behalf of the European Commission

The promotion and protection of human rights are at the heart of the EU’s foreign policy and the bilateral relations between the EU and Kuwait are no exception.

The European External Action Service (EEAS), notably through the EU Delegation in Kuwait, is actively monitoring the overall human rights situation in the country. In 2020, the EEAS launched a Human Rights dialogue with Kuwait aiming to contribute to improvement on main issues of concern, including the status of so-called Bidoons and freedom of expression both offline and online. Furthermore, the EEAS has engaged with Civil Society Organisations defending the rights of so-called Bidoons.

The second edition of the EU-Kuwait Human Rights dialogue, held on 30th March 2021, provided another opportunity to reiterate the EU’s principled position on human rights, exchange views on latest developments in this field and in particular ask for updates about actions undertaken by the authorities to improve the situation of the so-called Bidoons.