desert15

I had a query and was wondering if anyone could help me with it please or point me in the right direction. My fiancé is a Kuwaiti Bedoon (without nationality) and I am a British Citizen and reside in the UK permanently. I was wondering if there was a way of us being together in this country.

I have tried to research online but I haven’t found much information. I was also wondering if he could come here on a spouse visa or even a student visa? As he is intending on studying further.
I really don’t know the Bedoon rights and how it stands with UK immigration laws but I have faith in the laws here and know there must be some options available to us. All I have read is the Kuwaiti law and how hard it is to get anything for bedoons such as birth and marriage certificates etc. Luckily, he is one of the 'fortunate' ones in the sense that his government 'decided' to grant him a birth certificate and a stateless Kuwaiti passport! As I know this would be required to even get the process started...

I was baffled by this whole thing as I didn't even know there was such thing as 'stateless'! Just goes to show what we take granted for!

Many thanks in advance.

formula

Unless the poster JAJ says anything different, that is outside the skills of this forum. You might need to seek advice from a good immigration solicitor.

desert15

Thank you Formula for getting back. I did think it was more complicated as I couldn't find any information online or even when I browsed forums. Surely it isn't uncommon - marriages between bedoons and other nationalities but not finding any information online is strange...

Hopefully I get a reply from JAJ And I will consult a lawyer in this matter

Pollyana

The only other poster who may know is BritInParis. They are both pretty good at their stuff

formula

My very limited understanding is that a Kuwait bedoon can travel out of Kuwait but only on the understanding that they can't go back?

UK visas are only for a limited leave to remain, so how can they give a limited leave to remain visa to a person who has nowhere to return to??? i.e. on a student visa, he will be expected to return home at the end of his visa or sooner if he breaks the terms of his visa; on a spouse visa, if your marriage failed in the first five years he would be expected to return home; if he committed a serious crime in the UK, he would deported home.

Sorry, I'm just thinking it through and guessing. Ignore me. I don't know how it will work. Lets see what JAJ thinks.

scot47

Speak to your MP. SOME OF THEM are quite competent.

BritInParis

I must confess this is not a subject I am familiar with. Here is the Home Office's internal guidance on Kuwaiti bidoon. Although it relates mostly to asylum applicants it does state that Article 17 travel documents do allow the holder to re-entry Kuwait after travelling abroad.

https://www.gov.uk/government/upload...dance_2014.pdf

If your fiancé has an Article 17 travel document then he should be able to apply for a UK fiancé or spouse visa. How likely it is to be granted though I cannot say. You may wish to consider consulting a competent immigration solicitor with specific experience in dealing with applications involving Article 17 travel documents.

JAJ

Not much to add on this to what others have said on the U.K. visa issues. I would recommend consulting with an experienced immigration solicitor to see if his travel documents are sufficient to allow entry to the United Kingdom. Obviously also assess whether the other requirements for a fiance/spouse visa could be met.

You use the term "stateless Kuwaiti passport" - it's likely not a passport, but instead some kind of non-citizen travel or ID document.

And just as importantly, you and he need to understand that this travel document may allow him to leave Kuwait - but does it allow him to re-enter the country, and if so, under what conditions? Probably, the advice of a Kuwait lawyer would be needed. This is important because fiance/spouse status does not give permanent residence in the U.K. for at least 5 years, so even if all goes well, it will likely be many years until he could become a British citizen.

The UNHCR estimates around 10 million people worldwide are stateless.
UNHCR - The Campaign to end Statelessness

There are millions more who have at best a marginally recognized nationality or non-citizen status that does not equate to citizenship of a fully recognized sovereign nation.

There have been reports that Kuwait has been trying to do a deal with the Union of the Comoros (an island nation off East Africa) to offer citizenship on a wholesale basis to thousands of its stateless Bedoons. Although this would in theory grant such people an internationally recognized passport, to which a Kuwait residence permit and/or foreign travel visa could be attached, it would also mean that they could be deported by Kuwait to the Comoros. Or refused re-entry into Kuwait after travel. For example, see: BBC News - Kuwait's stateless Bidun 'offered Comoros citizenship'

desert15

Thank you to all of you for your responses, I appreciate each and everyone of them, it means a lot.

I can confirm it is an Article 17 travel document that he possesses. And I have asked him to see a Kuwait lawyer and I will try and find a UK lawyer with knowledge in this area. Although haven't found one as yet. If any of you know of any then please let me know.

Many thanks once again.

JAJ

Perhaps contact the JCWI: Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants | Campaigning for justice in immigration, nationality & asylum law & policy since 1967
They may at least be able to refer you to a competent U.K. immigration practitioner.

ninaa14

you can contact me, I am in the same situation, since 2013 , my husband he is in kuwait he is bedoon , and me i am a french so contact me