DOCSLIB.ORG

KUWAIT COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
KUWAIT COUNTRY of ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service KUWAIT COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION (COI) REPORT COI Service 29 March 2011 KUWAIT 29 MARCH 2011 Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN KUWAIT FROM 14 TO 24 MARCH 2011 Useful news sources for further information Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................ 1.01 Map ........................................................................................................................ 1.05 2. ECONOMY ................................................................................................................ 2.01 Exchange rates, as at 13 March 2011 ................................................................. 2.07 3. HISTORY .................................................................................................................. 3.01 Death of the Amir: January 2006......................................................................... 3.03 Elections: May 2009 ............................................................................................. 3.04 Other developments: June 2009 – August 2010 ................................................ 3.06 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: SEPTEMBER 2010 – MARCH 2011....................................... 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION.......................................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM ................................................................................................... 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY FORCES .................................................................................................... 8.01 Police..................................................................................................................... 8.02 Armed forces ........................................................................................................ 8.03 National Guard ................................................................................................... 8.04 Civil Defence ...................................................................................................... 8.06 Kuwait State Security (KSS)............................................................................... 8.07 Other Government forces .................................................................................... 8.08 Customs ............................................................................................................. 8.08 Border Security and Coast Guards..................................................................... 8.09 Human rights violations by government forces ................................................ 8.10 Arbitrary arrest and detention............................................................................. 8.11 Torture................................................................................................................ 8.12 Extra-judicial killings........................................................................................... 8.13 Avenues of complaint .......................................................................................... 8.15 9. MILITARY SERVICE .................................................................................................... 9.01 10. JUDICIARY................................................................................................................ 10.01 Organisation ......................................................................................................... 10.03 Constitutional Court............................................................................................ 10.07 Independence and fair trial.................................................................................. 10.08 Laws of Kuwait ..................................................................................................... 10.13 11. ARREST AND DETENTION – LEGAL RIGHTS .................................................................. 11.01 12. PRISON CONDITIONS ................................................................................................. 12.01 13. DEATH PENALTY ....................................................................................................... 13.01 Blood money......................................................................................................... 13.05 14. POLITICAL AFFILIATION ............................................................................................. 14.01 ii The main text of this COI Report contains the most up to date publicly available information as at 13 March 2011. Further brief information on recent events and reports has been provided in the Latest News section to 24 March 2011. 29 MARCH 2011 KUWAIT Freedom of political expression.......................................................................... 14.02 Freedom of association and assembly............................................................... 14.06 Association......................................................................................................... 14.08 Assembly............................................................................................................ 14.13 Diwaniyas....................................................................................................... 14.19 Opposition groups and political activists .......................................................... 14.23 15. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND MEDIA............................................................................... 15.01 Journalists and the Media ................................................................................... 15.06 16. HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS, ORGANISATIONS AND ACTIVISTS .................................... 16.01 17. CORRUPTION............................................................................................................ 17.01 Electoral corruption ............................................................................................. 17.03 Police corruption.................................................................................................. 17.05 18. FREEDOM OF RELIGION.............................................................................................. 18.01 Religious groups .................................................................................................. 18.06 19. FOREIGN NATIONALS AND NON-NATIONALS RESIDENT IN KUWAIT.................................. 19.01 Foreign nationals (also referred to as expatriates) ........................................... 19.02 Foreign refugees .................................................................................................. 19.07 Bidun (also Bidoon, Bedoon, Bedoun, Bedun).................................................. 19.09 Law, census and committees ............................................................................. 19.12 Status, documentation and rights....................................................................... 19.17 Citizenship ..................................................................................................... 19.26 Documentation............................................................................................... 19.29 ‘Documented’ Bidun (registered with the Executive Committee for Illegal Residents (ECIR) by June 2000) ............. 19.32 ‘Undocumented’ Bidun (not registered with the Executive Committee for Illegal Residents (ECIR) by June 2000) ............. 19.34 Travel documents / Article 17 documents ...................................................... 19.35 Alien Reporting Cards.................................................................................... 19.38 20. LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL AND TRANSGENDER PERSONS .............................................. 20.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 20.01 Lesbians and gay men ....................................................................................... 20.01 Transgender persons ......................................................................................... 20.04 Treatment by, and attitudes of, state authorities............................................... 20.06 Lesbians and gay men ....................................................................................... 20.06 Transgender persons ......................................................................................... 20.08 Societal treatment and attitudes ......................................................................... 20.10 21. WOMEN ................................................................................................................... 21.01 Overview ............................................................................................................... 21.01 Legal rights ........................................................................................................... 21.07 Political rights....................................................................................................... 21.12 Social and economic rights................................................................................. 21.18 Education and employment................................................................................ 21.18 Marriage, divorce, child
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Interview with Dayton S. Mak
    Library of Congress Interview with Dayton S. Mak The Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training Foreign Affairs Oral History Project DAYTON S. MAK Interviewed by: Charles Stuart Kennedy Initial interview date: August 9, 1989 Copyright 2010 ADST Q: Dayton, when and where were you born? MAK: I was born in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, July 10, 1917. Q: Let's talk about the family, let's go on the Mak side. What do you know about them? MAK: The Mak original name was three-barrel Mak van Waay, which in Dutch would be Mak fon vei [pronounces in Dutch]. They were from Dordrecht, the Netherlands. The family had an antique showroom there, an auction house a bit like Sotheby's. Q: ...in... MAK: In Dordrecht. That was the Mak van Waay family. They then moved to Amsterdam. At the same time, anther part of the family, a son, I believe, wanted to establish a Mak van Waay firm in Dordrecht itself. According to Dutch law, they couldn't do that. There could only be one firm Mak van Waay, so they opened the Firma Mak in Dordrecht. The Firma Mak still exists, and the big building remains on the tour of the old city of Dordrecht. The Mak van Waay part, of which I'm a member, stayed in Amsterdam until about 15 years ago, when the last Mak van Waay died. He had no children. So, the Mak van Waay in Interview with Dayton S. Mak http://www.loc.gov/item/mfdipbib000739 Library of Congress Holland effectively died out.
    [Show full text]
  • Kuwait Submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee
    KUWAIT SUBMISSION TO THE UNITED NATIONS HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE 117TH SESSION, 20 JUNE- 15 JULY 2016 Amnesty International Publications First published in 2016 by Amnesty International Publications International Secretariat Peter Benenson House 1 Easton Street London WC1X 0DW United Kingdom www.amnesty.org © Amnesty International Publications 2016 Index: MDE 17/4145/2016 Original Language: English Printed by Amnesty International, International Secretariat, United Kingdom All rights reserved. This publication is copyright, but may be reproduced by any method without fee for advocacy, campaigning and teaching purposes, but not for resale. The copyright holders request that all such use be registered with them for impact assessment purposes. For copying in any other circumstances, or for reuse in other publications, or for translation or adaptation, prior written permission must be obtained from the publishers, and a fee may be payable. To request permission, or for any other inquiries, please contact [email protected] Amnesty International is a global movement of more than 7 million supporters, members and activists in more than 150 countries and territories who campaign to end grave abuses of human rights. Our vision is for every person to enjoy all the rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards. We are independent of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion and are funded mainly by our membership and public donations. accompan CONTENTS INTRODUCTION
    [Show full text]
  • Labour Migration from Indonesia
    LABOUR MIGRATION FROM INDONESIA IOM is committed to the principle that humane and orderly migration benets migrants and society. As an intergovernmental body, IOM acts with its partners in the international community to assist in meeting the operational challenges of migration; advance understanding of migration issues; encourage social and economic development through migration; and uphold the human dignity and wellbeing of migrants. This publication is produced with the generous nancial support of the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration (United States Government). Opinions expressed in this report are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reect the views of IOM. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise without the prior written permission of the publisher: International Organization for Migration Mission in Indonesia LABOUR MIGRATION FROM INDONESIA Sampoerna Strategic Square, North Tower Floor 12A Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 45-46 An Overview of Indonesian Migration to Selected Destinations in Asia and the Middle East Jakarta 12930 Indonesia © 2010 International Organization for Migration (IOM) IOM International Organization for Migration IOM International Organization for Migration Labour Migration from Indonesia TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS vii PREFACE ix EXECUTIVE SUMMARY xi ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS 1 INTRODUCTION 3 Purpose 3 Terminology 3 Methodology
    [Show full text]
  • Semantic Innovation and Change in Kuwaiti Arabic: a Study of the Polysemy of Verbs
    ` Semantic Innovation and Change in Kuwaiti Arabic: A Study of the Polysemy of Verbs Yousuf B. AlBader Thesis submitted to the University of Sheffield in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics April 2015 ABSTRACT This thesis is a socio-historical study of semantic innovation and change of a contemporary dialect spoken in north-eastern Arabia known as Kuwaiti Arabic. I analyse the structure of polysemy of verbs and their uses by native speakers in Kuwait City. I particularly report on qualitative and ethnographic analyses of four motion verbs: dašš ‘enter’, xalla ‘leave’, miša ‘walk’, and i a ‘run’, with the aim of establishing whether and to what extent linguistic and social factors condition and constrain the emergence and development of new senses. The overarching research question is: How do we account for the patterns of polysemy of verbs in Kuwaiti Arabic? Local social gatherings generate more evidence of semantic innovation and change with respect to the key verbs than other kinds of contexts. The results of the semantic analysis indicate that meaning is both contextually and collocationally bound and that a verb’s meaning is activated in different contexts. In order to uncover the more local social meanings of this change, I also report that the use of innovative or well-attested senses relates to the community of practice of the speakers. The qualitative and ethnographic analyses demonstrate a number of differences between friendship communities of practice and familial communities of practice. The groups of people in these communities of practice can be distinguished in terms of their habits of speech, which are conditioned by the situation of use.
    [Show full text]
  • State of Kuwait
    Submission by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees For the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights’ Compilation Report - Universal Periodic Review: STATE OF KUWAIT I. BACKGROUND INFORMATION AND CURRENT CONDITIONS 1. Refugees and Asylum-seekers: Kuwait is not a State party to the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol (hereinafter jointly referred to as the 1951 Convention). There are no national laws or administrative regulations governing the status of asylum-seekers or refugees. All non-citizens in Kuwait fall under national immigration laws (also referred to as expatriate law), including refugees and asylum-seekers who register with UNHCR. As per these laws, securing a sponsorship through work, investment, or family link is a prerequisite to obtaining a legal residence in Kuwait. In the absence of a national asylum system in Kuwait, UNHCR carries out all asylum-related activities under its mandate. Local integration possibilities of refugees are limited, as is the potential for voluntary repatriation, in view of the fact that in most cases the situation in the countries of origin are not conducive to safe return. In view of this, resettlement is considered a vital protection tool for cases facing particular protection concerns. UNHCR carries out refugee status determination in Kuwait. Kuwait. However, despite the absence of a national framework regulating issues related to asylum and although not fully implemented, the Constitution prohibits refoulement. The overall protection environment remains precarious. The authorities continue to impose visa restrictions on six nationalities, representing countries facing severe political and security environments. Because of this restriction, many of people of concern face serious difficulties in renewing their residence permits and/or in extending their visit visa and thus they face not only risk of deportation but also they are denied access to all public services including education, health care and employment.
    [Show full text]
  • Modus Vivendi
    Rhodes College Sigma Iota Rho Modus Vivendi Volume XXIII, Spring 2017 1 2017 EDITORIAL STAFF Editor-in-Chief Rosalind KennyBirch Associate Editors Lucy Right Michael Clark Veronica Francis Dominik Booth Hallie Green Meredith Clement Jordan Giles 2017 Sigma Iota Rho Officers President Erica Hadley Vice President Meaghan Waff Secretary Maiar Salameh Cover photography taken by Hallie Green, Class of 2018, in Peru. Back Cover photography taken by Rosalind KennyBirch, Class of 2017, in South Africa. Modus Vivendi is a non-profit publication produced by undergraduate students in the International Studies Department at Rhodes College. Any inquiries regarding the journal should be made to Kim Stevenson, 2000 North Parkway, Memphis TN, 38112. 2 Letter from the Editor Dear Readers, The term “modus vivendi” is used in International Relations to mean “a way of life where opposing parties agree to differ,” or agree to disagree. This term exemplifies the aims of this journal, because we hope to provide a forum for discussion and debate on issues important in international relations. As one of the few undergraduate journals of international relations in the country, Modus Vivendi is published by the International Studies Department at Rhodes College, in conjunction with the Rhodes College chapter of Sigma Iota Rho. This year’s edition includes six essays which investigate various international events, policies, and affairs. Meaghan Waff’s essay explores how indigenous environmental social movements in the United States become radicalized, specifically citing resistance to the Yucca Mountain Project and Dakota Access Pipeline as her cases. Lucy Right applies Punctuated Equilibrium Theory to explanations for U.S.
    [Show full text]
  • Changing a System from Within: Applying the Theory
    CHANGING A SYSTEM FROM WITHIN: APPLYING THE THEORY OF COMMUNICATIVE ACTION FOR FUNDAMENTAL POLICY CHANGES IN KUWAIT A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by Nasser Almujaibel May 10, 2018 Examining Committee Members: Dr. Nancy Morris, Advisory Chair, MSP / Media and Communication Dr. Brian Creech, Journalism. Media & Communication Dr. Wazhmah Osman, MSP/ Media & Communication Dr. Sean L. Yom, External Member, Political Science ABSTRACT Political legitimacy is a fundamental problem in the modern state. According to Habermas (1973), current legitimation methods are losing the sufficiency needed to support political systems and decisions. In response, Habermas (1987) developed the theory of communicative action as a new method for establishing political legitimacy. The current study applies the communicative action theory to Kuwait’s current political transformation. This study addresses the nature of the foundation of Kuwait, the regional situation, the internal political context, and the current economic challenges. The specific political transformation examined in this study is a national development project known as Vision of 2035 supported by the Amir as the head of the state. The project aims to develop a third of Kuwait’s land and five islands as special economic zones (SEZ). The project requires new legislation that would fundamentally change the political and economic identity of the country. The study applies the communicative action theory in order to achieve a mutual understanding between different groups in Kuwait regarding the project’s features and the legislation required to achieve them. ii DEDICATION ﻟﻠﺤﺎﻟﻤﯿﻦ ﻗﺒﻞ اﻟﻨﻮم ... اﻟﻌﺎﻣﻠﯿﻦ ﺑﻌﺪه iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS To my parents, my wife Aminah, and my children Lulwa, Bader, and Zaina: Your smiles made this journey easier every day.
    [Show full text]
  • Criminal Background Check Procedures
    Shaping the future of international education New Edition Criminal Background Check Procedures CIS in collaboration with other agencies has formed an International Task Force on Child Protection chaired by CIS Executive Director, Jane Larsson, in order to apply our collective resources, expertise, and partnerships to help international school communities address child protection challenges. Member Organisations of the Task Force: • Council of International Schools • Council of British International Schools • Academy of International School Heads • U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Schools • Association for the Advancement of International Education • International Schools Services • ECIS CIS is the leader in requiring police background check documentation for Educator and Leadership Candidates as part of the overall effort to ensure effective screening. Please obtain a current police background check from your current country of employment/residence as well as appropriate documentation from any previous country/countries in which you have worked. It is ultimately a school’s responsibility to ensure that they have appropriate police background documentation for their Educators and CIS is committed to supporting them in this endeavour. It is important to demonstrate a willingness and effort to meet the requirement and obtain all of the paperwork that is realistically possible. This document is the result of extensive research into governmental, law enforcement and embassy websites. We have tried to ensure where possible that the information has been obtained from official channels and to provide links to these sources. CIS requests your help in maintaining an accurate and useful resource; if you find any information to be incorrect or out of date, please contact us at: [email protected].
    [Show full text]
  • UNODC Multi-Country Study on Trafficking in Persons and Smuggling of Migrants from Nepal
    United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Regional Office for SouthAsia September 2019 Copyright © UNODC 2019 Disclaimer: The designations employed and the contents of this publication, do not imply the expression or endorsement of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNODC concerning the legal status of any country, territory or city, or its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. EP 16/17, Chandragupta Marg, Chanakyapuri New Delhi - 110021, India Tel: +91 11 24104964/66/68 Website: www.unodc. org/southasia/ Follow UNODC South Asia on: This is an internal UNODC document, which is not meant for wider public distribution and is a component of ongoing, expert research undertaken by the UNODC under the GLO.ACT project. The objective of this study is to identify pressing needs and offer strategic solutions to support the Government of Nepal and its law enforcement agencies in areas covered by UNODC mandates, particularly the smuggling of migrants. This report has not been formally edited, and its contents do not necessarily reflect or imply endorsement of the views or policies of the UNODC or any contributory organizations. In addition, the designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply any particular opinion whatsoever regarding the legal status of any country, territory, municipality or its authorities, or the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries. The boundaries and names shown, and the designations used in all the maps in this report, do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by the United Nations and the UNODC. TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 3 ABBREVIATIONS 4 KEY TERMS USED IN THE REPORT AND THEIR DEFINITIONS/MEANINGS 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Kuwait 29Jan10
    COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION REPORT KUWAIT 29 JANUARY 2010 UK Border Agency COUNTRY OF ORIGIN INFORMATION SERVICE Contents Preface Latest News EVENTS IN KUWAIT , FROM 25 DECEMBER 2009 TO 29 JANUARY 2010 REPORTS ON KUWAIT PUBLISHED OR ACCESSED BETWEEN 25 DECEMBER 2009 AND 29 JANUARY 2010 Paragraphs Background Information 1. GEOGRAPHY ....................................................................................... 1.01 Map .............................................................................................. 1.04 2. ECONOMY ........................................................................................... 2.01 3. HISTORY ............................................................................................. 3.01 4. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS (M ARCH -DECEMBER 2009) ............................ 4.01 5. CONSTITUTION .................................................................................... 5.01 6. POLITICAL SYSTEM .............................................................................. 6.01 Human Rights 7. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 7.01 8. SECURITY SITUATION ........................................................................... 8.01 9. SECURITY FORCES ............................................................................... 9.01 Police........................................................................................... 9.02 Arbitrary arrest and detention................................................... 9.03 Torture
    [Show full text]
  • 1 Executive Summary Kuwait Is the Third
    Executive Summary Kuwait is the third-largest economy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC, after Saudi Arabia and the UAE), and the Government of Kuwait has taken preliminary steps toward liberalizing sectors of its economy in the past year. Legislation passed in 2013 including a new FDI law and a commercial companies law aimed at easing constraints to doing business in Kuwait, and at establishing a “one stop shop” to help companies start operations in Kuwait. In March 2014, the Central Bank of Kuwait announced that foreign banks could open multiple branches in Kuwait – until that time, they could only open one branch. The April 2014 passage of historic telecommunications legislation potentially signals the government may liberalize the telecom sector and create opportunities for more competition in the coming years. After years of delays, the state oil companies in 2014 awarded several high-value contracts to foreign consortia to expand refinery capacities in Kuwait. Moves toward privatization of Kuwait’s stock exchange and its national airline have also begun. Nevertheless, Kuwait is perceived as a difficult place to invest in and do business with, and challenges to operating in the country remain. Kuwait ranked 104th in the world, and lowest in the GCC, on the World Bank’s 2014 ease of doing business survey, and the country has consistently attracted the lowest amounts of FDI in the entire Middle East and North Africa region. Implementation of new legislation has lagged, and significant barriers to foreign investment remain, including regulations barring foreign entities from the petroleum and real estate sectors, long bureaucratic delays in starting new enterprises, and a local business culture based on clan and family relationships that can be difficult for foreigners to navigate.
    [Show full text]
  • Kuwait OGN V4.0 Issued 3Rd May 2007
    Kuwait OGN v4.0 Issued 3rd May 2007 OPERATIONAL GUIDANCE NOTE KUWAIT CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1.1 – 1.4 2. Country assessment 2.1 – 2.8 3. Main categories of claims 3.1 – 3.5 Undocumented Bidoon 3.5 Documented Bidoon 3.6 Prison conditions 3.7 4. Discretionary Leave 4.1 – 4.2 Minors claiming in their own right 4.3 Medical treatment 4.4 5. Returns 5.1 – 5.2 6. List of source documents 1. Introduction 1.1 This document evaluates the general, political and human rights situation in Kuwait and provides guidance on the nature and handling of the most common types of claims received from nationals/residents of that country, including whether claims are or are not likely to justify the granting of asylum, Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave. Caseowners must refer to the relevant Asylum Instructions for further details of the policy on these areas. 1.2 This guidance must also be read in conjunction with any COI Service Kuwait Country of Origin Information published on the Horizon intranet site. The material is also published externally on the Home Office internet site at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/country_reports.html 1.3 Claims should be considered on an individual basis, but taking full account of the guidance contained in this document. In considering claims where the main applicant has dependent family members who are a part of his/her claim, account must be taken of the situation of all the dependent family members included in the claim in accordance with the Asylum Instruction on Article 8 ECHR.
    [Show full text]