About 5,400 people residing in Kuwait have applied for asylum in foreign countries, according to a report conducted by the Arabian Gulf Center for Studies and Research (CSRGULF).
The majority of these asylum seekers are non-Kuwaitis, specifically stateless residents known as ‘bedoons’, who are seeking refuge due to the lack of solutions and basic rights granted to them in Kuwait.
The report found that Iraq and the UAE were the top Arab destinations for asylum seekers from Kuwait, while European countries such as the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Germany, and Scandinavian countries were the most sought-after destinations.
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However, more than half of these requests are usually rejected, especially by European authorities, unlike Canada and UK, which are more favorable towards humanitarian cases related to people who are exposed to risks and restrictions in expressing freedoms and opinions.
According to the CSRGULF report, residents of Kuwait ranked 16th in the ranking of the most Arabs seeking sanctuary to Europe in 2022.
The report didn’t mention the percentage of Kuwaiti citizens among asylum seekers, the report said, however, most refuge seekers are stateless residents. They are motivated to emigrate out of a desire to gain citizenship in a country. The report added that they seek permanent residence in other countries as they wait for solutions to their problems.
Asylum seekers from Kuwait are of various nationalities, including Ethiopians, Eritreans, Pakistanis, Afghans, and Lebanese. In total, 61 percent of asylum applications were rejected, but those that did receive asylum often chose destinations such as Canada and Luxembourg.
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