KUWAIT: Syrians will not have their citizenship status changed in the Interior Ministry's database if they obtain a different nationality, according to a new circular issued by the Interior Ministry's Residency Affairs Department.

This came after Sudanese authorities contacted their Kuwaiti counterparts about a number of Syrian nationals who have recently obtained Sudanese passports. Sudanese authorities temporarily suspended procedures to issue citizenships and passports to non-Sudanese, then informed Kuwait and other Gulf Cooperation Council countries about the situation in order to prevent activities that could potentially pose a threat to national security, Al-Anbaa daily reported recently quoting a security source.

Based on that, the Interior Ministry informed the information systems department to avoid changing Syrian nationals' citizenship statuses to Sudanese in the database, the source said, adding that the Sudanese passports that the Syrians recently obtained are temporary and will not be renewed according to Sudanese authorities. Only 10 Syrian nationals in Kuwait have applied to change their citizenship statuses to Sudanese, but the number far exceeds that in other GCC countries, the source explained. - Al-Anbaa