KUWAIT PRACTICES-INFORMATION COLLECTION,

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KUWAIT 001684 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR S/CT KEN MCKUNE, NCTC, DHS E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/29/2027 TAGS: PREL PGOV KU KVPR PTER PINR CVIS ASEC KHLS SUBJECT: KUWAIT PRACTICES-INFORMATION COLLECTION, SCREENING, AND SHARING REF: A. SECSTATE 133921 ¶B. KUWAIT 4688 Classified By: CDA Misenheimer for reasons 1.4 b and d ¶1. (U) Post's response to Department inquiries in State 133931 follows. Watchlisting -------------- ¶2. (SBU) - The GOK maintains watchlists. The number of records is unknown. - The Kuwait Immigration Service of the Ministry of Interior (MOI) and Kuwait State Security (KSS) maintain lists. Individuals involved in terrorist-related activties are kept track of by KSS. Traveler Information Collection -------------- ¶3. (C) - Most foreigners who enter Kuwait, including tourists from countries other than Europe and North America, must have a local sponsor. The process of obtaining such a sponsor entails providing a great deal of information. However, the only information taken from travelers entering the country is typical entry card information, such as name, date of birth, and location of residence in Kuwait. Tourists from Europe and North America do not need sponsors to visit and thus the only information collected is the basic data provided on entry. These same tourists must provide additional information to obtain a residence permit. - Policies do not differ for land, air or sea. There are no internal flights. - The MOI collects this information. - The MOI shares this information under certain conditions with other GCC governments. A GOK representative told POLOFF recently that the GOK keeps passenger manifests, but Post cannot verify this. - The GOK keeps records on entry and exit of foreigners to the country. - There is no system in place to identify suspicious individuals before they enter the country. Border Control and Screening -------------- ¶4. (C) - The GOK employs software to screen travelers of security interest. - All travelers can be tracked electronically. However, this policy is prone to sporadic enforcement with GCC citizens. - GOK border officials' conduct is governed largely by internal MOI codes of procedure. They use information about alleged criminal activity in their decisions to grant or deny entry or exit from the country. - The MOI can question, detain, or deny entry to the country. - The GOK, specifically KSS, has a database of those suspected of terrorist activity. Other parts of the GOK also have databases. Despite efforts to improve communication between databases, connectivity problems still exist. In general the GOK is tentative in pursuing Kuwaitis suspected of terrorist activity and more assertive in pursuing non-Kuwaitis. Biometric Collection -------------- ¶5. (C) - GOK is considering developing biometric capabilities, though implementation does not seem imminent. KUWAIT 00001684 002 OF 003 - The GOK does not regularly collect fingerprints on entry to the country. Foreigners expelled from the country for legal reasons are fingerprinted on exit. - The MOI is responsible for the fingerprint system. - The MOI collects rolled fingerprints by paper (not biometrics). Passports -------------- ¶6. (C) - The GOK issues machine-readable passports. - When a Kuwaiti loses a passport abroad, he is generally issued a one-use travel document to return to Kuwait. On returning to Kuwait, the citizen must go to the MOI and explain the circumstances of the loss of the passport. The MOI's policy is that the citizen must provide documentary evidence, such as a police report, to back up his claim. This policy is designed to detect those who may be lying about what happened to their passport, though Post does not have information about whether a passport would be denied to such a person altogether (though passport confiscation is practiced by the GOK) or whether there would be legal proceedings against him. In certain cases, a Kuwaiti abroad may get a fully valid passport, but only after proving his case to the ministry's satisfaction. Generally this is done for those whose passports expire when they are abroad for an extended period of time, such as for medical treatment and study. In these cases the passport is issued from Kuwait and sent to the citizen through the embassy abroad rather than being issued directly by the embassy. - Replacement passports do not appear to be assigned a characteristic number or otherwise identified. However, the GOK computer systems reportedly keep track of whether a passport is a replacement for a lost passport. Fraud Detection -------------- ¶7. (C) - The GOK reports that it vigorously checks for fraudulent documents used by foreigners to gain entry into the country. It maintains a repository of sample documents and signatures so it can validate foreign documents. One weakness in the GOK system is that the MFA does not photocopy or scan documents it certifies, so documents can be manipulated after they are notarized. Privacy and Data Security -------------- ¶8. (C) - KSS and the MOI's Immigration department keep permanent records of interrogations. - The GOK generally announces new laws in its official gazette. However, Post does not have information about a requirement that the GOK would have to publicly announce the implementation of a new database. - Kuwaiti citizens can go to court to petition information the Government holds on them. Non-Kuwaitis cannot sue the Government for this information; they can make a formal request from the embassy in their country, but it would be up to the GOK's discretion as to whether it would provide that information. Only concerned persons or agencies are able to gain access to records held on private individuals. Immigration Databases -------------- ¶9. (C/NF) - The MOI has a computerized immigration database. Information for all entries and exits is entered into this database at all of Kuwait's ports of entry. - The computerized databases are updated daily. KUWAIT 00001684 003 OF 003 Watchlist and Information Sharing -------------- ¶10. (C/NF) - All persons entering and exiting Kuwait are screened against the MOI and CED databases which generate hits for persons with criminal convictions and immigration violations. - Individuals are screened against two international watchlists: Interpol and TSA No Fly. - There are no bilateral or multilateral watchlists. The Government of Kuwait does exchange fingerprint information of persons with serious criminal convictions with fellow Gulf Cooperation Council members, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Oman on a monthly basis. Biometrics -------------- ¶11. (C/NF) - There are no fully operational biometric systems in place at ports of entry. The GOK is currently testing an electronic fingerprinting system at Kuwait City International Airport. Ultimately the system is to be used at all ports of entry. - The GOK uses fingerprint identification. The Ministry of Interior obtains fingerprints from Kuwaitis when they apply for national identification cards at age 18 and from foreign residents when they apply for residence permits. - The GOK has a DNA database. It takes DNA samples from convicted prisoners. - The GOK does not yet issue machine-readable (MR) passports with biometric information but plans to begin issuing them in ¶2008. ********************************************* * For more reporting from Embassy Kuwait, visit: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/?cable s Visit Kuwait's Classified Website: http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/nea/kuwait/ ********************************************* * MISENHEIMER