Good is what the First Deputy announced regarding the revocation of their citizenships

The appointment of individuals whose citizenship has been revoked to the General Fireforce, with five-year contracts, is a step in the right direction. It is part of the state’s efforts to address a social and livelihood problem faced by those who lost their citizenship for various reasons, as employing these individuals is far better than recruiting foreign labor unfamiliar with the country’s social norms and geography.

These individuals, along with other “stateless” residents, are more deserving of vacant positions, as they have lived their entire lives in the country and know no other homeland. They are better equipped to serve Kuwait than others, and it is high time to resolve the issue affecting this segment, especially since many possess qualifications and extensive experience in their respective fields. Their social stability would significantly reduce many security and livelihood-related problems.

We previously stated that employing illegal residents through training at the Public Authority for Applied Education and Training and vocational institutes helps correct the country’s demographic imbalance and even reduces crime. The fundamental principle is that as long as unemployment persists and legitimate employment opportunities are scarce, affected individuals will seek illegal means to survive, particularly if they have families.

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Reports indicate that the crime rate among “stateless” individuals reaches 50 percent. Although most offenses are misdemeanors, they reflect a desperate search for livelihood, even if illegal. If legitimate work were available, these individuals would achieve social and economic stability, thereby alleviating many security and financial burdens on the state.

Extending the successful initiative of the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, Sheikh Fahad Al-Yousif, to appoint non-Kuwaitis to the General Fireforce, to all other government institutions, would constitute an advanced reform strategy. These individuals would spend the majority of their income within the country. If they undergo technical training, they would help fill gaps in many sectors, ultimately benefiting the state.

We have long argued that there are solutions to the “stateless” issue, including granting them unconditional passports to seek livelihoods abroad, and possibly finding a country willing to grant them citizenship, which would help resolve this chronic problem causing Kuwait some international headaches.

We must speak frankly: the proportion of single residents in the country reaches 65 percent, representing a significant demographic imbalance. The majority of violations are attributed to this group. Therefore, employing “stateless” individuals to replace foreign workers in jobs, with long-term contracts, would be one of the long-awaited solutions to reform the country’s demographic composition.

True, reform will not happen overnight, but once momentum builds, several problems will be resolved. On the spending front, a simple calculation shows that remittances sent by foreign workers last year amounted to approximately 5.1 billion Kuwaiti dinars. If this spending remained within the country, it would mean saving a substantial portion of that amount.

Thus, when other ministries and government institutions follow the initiative of the First Deputy Prime Minister, it will become one of the sources of social stability in the country. Moreover, if the government decides to provide limited support to the private sector when it employs “stateless” individuals, it would achieve multiple objectives at once. It is high time to resolve this dilemma that has persisted since the 1970s.