A secret tip received by the Nationality Investigation Department led to the review of a decades-old death record that ultimately exposed two fraudulent additions to a Kuwaiti citizenship file, according to Al-Rai daily. The information indicated that a person had been entered into the file in place of a child who died young, with the knowledge of the child’s father. Investigators checked Ministry of Health archives and confirmed the death had taken place, prompting them to summon 15 of the 17 individuals listed as sons and daughters in the file for questioning. The newspaper’s informed sources said the case dates back to the 1970s and relied on both archival documents and genetic evidence to reach its conclusions.
Those summoned acknowledged that one registered brother named N was in fact their cousin and that a death report existed under his name, Al-Rai daily reported. They further disclosed the presence of a second individual also listed as a brother but who was likewise a cousin rather than a sibling. DNA testing on all 17 registered individuals confirmed that 15 shared full sibling biological ties while the two others did not, according to the sources cited by the newspaper. This scientific verification formed the basis for the subsequent citizenship actions.
The Supreme Committee for Kuwaiti Citizenship Investigation decided to revoke nationality from the two men found to lack any legitimate link to the original file holder. One of the individuals had been registered as a substitute for the deceased child and carried seven dependents whose status was affected. The second man was linked to 14 dependents, producing the total of 21 people impacted by the revocations, the committee’s ruling showed. The decisions applied both withdrawal for any naturalized parties and revocation for those who had obtained citizenship by descent.
The father of the dead child had arranged for his neighbor’s son to be placed in the family citizenship records in the child’s stead, family members explained to investigators as detailed by Al-Rai daily. The arrangement allowed the impersonator to live under the false identity for roughly 50 years while maintaining a life that included employment and family. The probe combined the death records, witness statements from the legitimate siblings and genetic comparisons to dismantle the false lineage that had persisted since the 1970s.
This latest case forms part of a sustained effort by Kuwaiti authorities to examine citizenship files for irregularities using DNA sampling and cross-checks against inheritance and health registries. Gulf News reported in January that a separate investigation into false family links had resulted in the revocation of citizenship for 264 individuals across three main branches of an extended fraud scheme. The Nationality Investigation Department has indicated that similar reviews remain active as it works through additional files where records show inconsistencies in reported family structures.
Authorities have stressed that the measures target only those connected to the proven forgeries and do not affect biological relatives whose status was separately verified through the same DNA process, according to the sources who spoke to Al-Rai daily. The committee continues to coordinate with forensic departments to preserve and compare samples in ongoing inquiries. Such operations rely on both historical documentation and modern genetic tools to ensure the integrity of citizenship records.
