Human Rights in Kuwait

 Hello readers, welcome back to the Middle East and North Africa human rights blog. This week the human rights of Kuwait will be the subject of this blog. 

At the turn of the century Kuwait was under British colonial occupation. Eventually Kuwait gained independence from the British Empire in 1961 but Iraq still made territorial claims to the newly independent country the same year (Aftandilian). Eventually with a new government in Baghdad their independence was recognized. Despite the recognition of independence, Iraq would later withdraw their recognition of Kuwait and invade the country triggering the Persian Gulf War. Kuwait in the midst of the Iranian revolution felt insecure by the growing Iranian influence in the middle east by possibly undermining the legitimacy/power of the Kuwaiti monarchy. This was part of their policy of arming Saddam Hussein’s Iraq during their invasion of Iran (US Department of State). Despite the numerous warcrimes, massacres, and genocide that took part during the war that were committed by Iraqi force, Kuwait continued to support Iraq. In the aftermath of the Iran Iraq War, Iraq was in debt to several Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Due to the Kuwaitis dismissing Saddam Hussein’s demand for debt relief and decreasing OPECs output to boost oil revenue through higher prices, Kuwait was put in danger of invasion (Aftandilian). Saddam Hussein eventually claimed Kuwait was stealing Iraqi oil and proclaimed Kuwait as a province of Iraq. The invasion of Kuwait by Iraq led to the displacement of hundreds of thousands, executions, looting, and arrests by Iraqi forces until an international coalition led by the United States pushed the Iraqi military out of Kuwait in the Persian Gulf War in 1991 (US Department of State). Today Human rights in Kuwait are characterized by censorship, labor abuses, and crackdowns on activism. One example of the poor human rights in Kuwait is the treatment and lack of legal protections for foreign workers which comprise two thirds of the country’s population. These migrant laborers are often at the mercy of their employers through the Kafala system which gives private citizens complete control over their immigration and employment status (Robinson). These laborers face abuse, exploitation, and arrest by the authorities and are treated under a different set of laws than the host nations labor laws. Another problem with human rights in Kuwait is the treatment of minorities of the country. The Bidun people are stateless people who claim Kuwaiti nationality but have been referred to by the government as “illegal residents” since 1985 which severely limits their access to government services, documentation, public gatherings, education, and work (World Report 2021). Another area of human rights which Kuwait has a bad record on is women’s rights. Women face economic, social, and political discrimination. Some example of this discrimination is a husband can prevent his wife from working and Kuwaiti women who marry non-Kuwaiti men cannot pass citizenship to their children and spouse where men can (World Report 2021). Domestic violence is often ignored by authorities which led to new laws to prevent domestic violence and established shelters for victims (World Report 2021). Kuwait’s history has a track record of poor human rights both from outside actors and internally. The occupation of Kuwait by the forces of Saddam Hussein oversaw egregious crimes against the people of Kuwait. Today however, human rights concerns have not been addressed which leaves many people in the country vulnerable to abuse, exploitation, and lacking freedom of expression, organizing, and assembly. Kuwait, like many other Gulf states, must address the deplorable, slave-like conditions of migrant workers and ensure their freedom of movement, ensure labor protections, and ensure equal rights. Women's rights must also be enforced and expanded in Gulf countries like Kuwait to protect women's safety, freedom, and participation in society. Kuwait must make enormous economic, political, and social changes in order to guarantee human rights for all people that live within the country.

Citations:

US Department of State. “The Gulf War, 1991.” U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of State, https://history.state.gov/milestones/1989-1992/gulf-war#:~:text=At%20the%20end%20of%20the,to%20Gulf%20creditors%20in%201990. 

“World Report 2021: Rights Trends in Kuwait.” Human Rights Watch, 13 Jan. 2021, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2021/country-chapters/kuwait. 

Robinson, Kali. “What Is the Kafala System?” Council on Foreign Relations, Council on Foreign Relations, 23 Mar. 2021, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/what-kafala-system. 

          Aftandilian, Gregory. “The Future of Iraqi-Kuwaiti Relations: Overcoming a Troubled History.”                  Arab Center Washington DC, 10 July 2018, https://arabcenterdc.org/resource/the-future-of-iraqi-                 kuwaiti-relations-overcoming-a-troubled-history/.