According to a counsellor at the Embassy of the State of Kuwait in Ottawa, only Kuwaiti citizens are issued passports (9 Feb. 1999). The counsellor said that in order for an individual to be considered a Kuwaiti citizen, the father of that person must be shown to be Kuwaiti. When asked if a bidoon could be issued a Kuwaiti passport the counsellor replied that "they're not Kuwaiti" since, she claimed, they originate from countries other than Kuwait. She did acknowledge that bidoon have been issued travel documents by the Kuwaiti government but emphasized that these are not passports. The counsellor said these documents permit travel within neighbouring and Arab states and also serve as an identity document within Kuwait itself. She stated that the holder's nationality is not shown on the passport.

A Professor of Political Science at Kuwait University, who is also the Head of the Committee for the Defence of War Victims, stated in a 10 February 1999 telephone interview that some bidoons are issued passports, but that it is not common. He said that the passports issued to bidoons are known as Article 17 passports, in reference to a section of law that allows the Ministry of Interior to issue passports to non-Kuwaitis. Members of the military or police are examples he provided of bidoons who are issued Article 17 passports, but he also stated that other bidoons are issued passports at the discretion of the ministry. He also said that the nationality of a holder is not indicated on an Article 17 passport.

According to a 6 November 1996 report from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT):

Article 17 passport holders are bedoons whose citizenship has not been determined. While they do not have full (or even secondary or third class citizenship) many are members of the army or police force in Kuwait or are occupied in business. While the passports do not guarantee residence in Kuwait we were told at the time by MFA that the passports are good for return travel to Kuwait while they remain valid. We were also told that as with normal passports, Article 17 passports could be renewed at an overseas mission if they expired but that the permission of Ministry of the Interior in Kuwait would first be required.

In addition, Travel Information Manual indicates that a passport is not needed for entry into Kuwait if the individual is a stateless person in possession of travel documents (Feb. 1999, 232).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate 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.

Country Information Service (CIS), Department of Immigration and Multicultural Affairs (DIMA), Australia. 6 November 1996. DFAT Country Information Report: Article 17 Passport Holders From Kuwait. (Document No. CX22376)

Embassy of the State of Kuwait, Ottawa. 9 February 1999. Telephone interview with counsellor.

Kuwait University. 10 February 1999. Telephone interview with Professor of Political Science.

Travel Information Manual. February 1999. Hoofddorp, The Netherlands: np.