Citizenship Fraud in Kuwait: Causes, Consequences and Criminological Insights

Abstract Citizenship fraud poses a global threat to the integrity and governance of nation-states. In Kuwait, it has long been a critical issue, prompting recent decisive measures to address fraudulent citizenship claims. These illegitimate claims undermine national identity and security. This article frames citizenship fraud as a global phenomenon and presents Kuwait as a case study, examining its historical challenges and recent anti-fraud efforts. To explain the occurrence and persistence of this issue, the study applies Cressey’s Fraud Triangle, a prominent criminological theory, while also incorporating structural factors unique to the Kuwaiti context. Furthermore, the paper advocates for a public criminology approach to address broader challenges facing the discipline in Kuwait and the Arab region. By analysing Kuwait’s current anti-fraud campaign and exploring future deterrence strategies, this study fills a gap in the literature on fraudulent nationality claims, offering a rare criminological perspective on a complex and politically sensitive issue.