According to a representative of the Kuwaiti Association to Defend War Victims, a non-governmental Kuwaiti organization in Washington, article 17 of the Passport Law states that the government of Kuwait may issue a Kuwaiti passport to a non-Kuwaiti when it is required for employment purposes (14 Oct. 1993). In the past, the government issued laisser-passez (Ibid.). The holders of Kuwaiti passports with the stamp on page 8 where the sentence mentioned above is written are Bedoons employed with the army or the police (Ibid.). Bedoons outside the army or the Police do not usually have passports (Ibid.). The stamp on page 8 of the passport referring to article 17 is not present in the passport of a Kuwaiti national (Ibid.). A passport with this stamp can be re-appropriated by the government or the sponsor of the holder of the passport upon return to Kuwait, a procedure not required from Kuwaiti nationals (Ibid.). A person holding this type of passport would have to obtain a visa in order to travel in neighbouring Gulf countries, whereas a Kuwaiti national would not have to (Ibid.). In order to travel to Canada both a Bedoon with this passport and a Kuwaiti national would have to have an official visa (Ibid.).

This response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the DIRB within time constraints. This response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.

Kuwaiti Association to Defend War Victims, Washington. 14 October 1993. Telephone interview with representative.