Kuwait is failing its most loyal residents

The Kuwaiti government have offered citizenship to more than 100,000 Bidoon (short for the Arabic bidoon jinsiya, meaning “without nationality”). Not Kuwaiti citizenship – but citizenship from the Comoros islands.

A flickering light bulb of a nation, strung out across several islands between Madagascar and the east African coast – the archipelago has been close to disintegration ever since it won independence from French rule in 1975. Since then, there have been over 20 coups or attempted coups. In 1997, the constituent islands of Anjouan and Moheli declared independence during a violent conflict. Comoros’ GDP per capita ranks alongside Haiti, Ethiopia and Sierra Leone. It is only just wealthier per head than Afghanistan. By every measure, it is one of the poorest, most under-educated and under-invested countries in the world.

The deal has been rejected by the Kuwaiti Bidoon, who live in slum settlements, or are homeless – and by all accounts, live a terrible life. Those who accept the new offer would be given free residence permits in Kuwait, in addition to a series of incentives including free education and healthcare and the right to employment. The government has stressed that they would not be forced to emigrate but, if they are convicted of any crime, they would be deported. The Bidoon are sceptical.

“Stateless residents reject this deal,” Kuwaiti Bidoon activist Ahmed Al-Khalifa told a local news agency, comparing the deal to human trafficking. “Selling human beings in return for projects and investment is unacceptable,” Al-Khalifa added.

Another activist said: “This is a deal between an international mafia and passport traders with the aim of getting rid of Kuwait’s stateless residents.” He described the policy as “racist”, fearing the measures will eventually lead to mass deportations.

The question is, why the Comoros islands? It looks like this is a backhanded swap for Kuwaiti investment, modelled on a deal the United Arab Emirates recently struck with the Comoros to handle their own Bidoon “problem”.

Dubai-based company HSS Holding is currently implementing a large-scale marine transportation project for the Comoros islands. The Dubai office of Hill International, a New Jersey consultancy firm, was awarded the contract for the project management of the initiative. In 2008, Dubai World Africa, a subsidiary of the state-owned investment vehicle Dubai World, announced that it would invest $70 million in the development of a five-star international luxury hotel in Comoros, with over a hundred luxury villas and townhouses. After these deals were signed, the UAE announced that their own population of Bidoon – numbering between 30,000 and 100,000 – would be offered Comoros passports.

The marine transportation undertaken by HSS Holding was just one part of a much larger joint enterprise under-taken with a larger Kuwaiti firm, Comoro Gulf Holdings. The total investment agreed was nearly $3 billion and encompasses telecommunications, aviation, energy, agriculture and transport projects for the impoverished islands. It is money that Comoros simply can’t do without.

According to Comoro Gulf Holdings (CGH), islanders are now being provided with a privatised electricity and gas sector and lamp-posts. A new bank, in partnership with the Lebanese Al-Mawarid Bank, will also provide lending and account services. Meanwhile Twama Telecom, backed by CGH, will focus on “innovating, incubating and creating new opportunities for the Comorian people” as well as rural local telecommunications and long-distance mobile services.

The Chairman of GCH is none other than Sheikh Sabah Jaber Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah. While GCH’s website emphasises his management partnerships at 30 corporations in the Middle East and North Africa, and his role on the boards of the Kuwait Journalist Committee and the Kuwait Blind Committee, it neglects to mention he is also the prime minister of Kuwait, and a member of Al-Sabah royal family.

A leaked cable between CIA officers investigating the activities of CGH showed that they sensed something was up while the deals were being made.

“Given years of stagnant economic growth, it is unsurprising that [Comoros] President [Ahmed Abdallah Mohamed] Sambi’s government would welcome these investors,” wrote the CIA investigator.

“Still, something does not add up and it is worth investigating whether CGH’s growing influence in the Comoros is completely benign.”

It is clear now what the missing piece of the puzzle is – Comoros is selling passports while Kuwait is providing cash.

While the Comoros islands also receives grants (most recently $5 million from the World Bank and $20 million from the African Development Bank), and has been offered debt relief, Gulf investment is undoubtedly playing a key role in developing the country. It is therefore understandable that they have been required to offer something back to the Kuwaiti and UAE governments and entrepreneurs risking money on the ventures.

In addition to the Bidoon’s objections to the new proposal, Amnesty International has described the move as “playing games” with the lives of the stateless. In short, these people deserve better.

In 1961, following independence from the United Kingdom, around a third of the resident Kuwaiti population was granted citizenship by virtue of being “founding fathers”. A further third of the population was “naturalised”. The remaining third were left out on a limb – becoming Bidoon. The divisions were effectively arbitrary and have left over 100,000 homeless or living in poor quality housing, unable to get driving licenses, register with state schools, get jobs, a passport or a chance to vote.

Behind the scenes, the Kuwaiti government has been lobbying the UK government for decades to take the Bidoon off their hands. One particularly prominent activist was quietly offered a job, a car, education for his children and a house in London if he promised to leave Kuwait and stop his activism for Bidoon rights. He refused.

The UK Home Office guidance to immigration officers is callous, judging that “the discrimination is not so severe as to amount to persistent and serious ill treatment, concluding that “a grant of asylum will not normally be appropriate”.

Yet the Bidoon community has historically served Kuwait loyally. They worked as oil men for the British and then the state-owned Kuwait Oil Company – oil upon which Kuwait’s full citizens now fully depend for their luxurious standard of living.

Bidoon traditionally made up around 85 per cent of the army and defended Kuwait from Saddam Hussein during the first Gulf War (with hundreds losing their lives). But from 1986 to 1991 – they have lost their jobs, rights and been labelled “illegal foreigners”.

Palming the Bidoon off to the Comoros islands is no solution. They deserve full citizenship and full rights from a country that owes everything to them.

The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor.