Anyone looking to enter Kuwait this year will need more than a passport to get through airport security. The country has announced that it will ask all visitors to submit a mandatory DNA sample upon arrival at the Kuwait International Airport, where tests will take place in an on-site center designated for this purpose. The new protocol is set to launch late this year.
So what exactly will be collected? As the Daily News reports, foreigners will need to submit one of two things upon landing: either a swab of saliva, or a small blood sample (a few drops, which will be smeared on a card). Those samples could then be used to connect a visitor to a crime scene if there’s a match. Kuwaitis and expats must abide by the law as well: Citizens will have their DNA samples taken at mobile centers, and residents will need to submit DNA during a medical exam conducted by the health ministry when their visas are being issued or renewed.
According to officials, the samples—which won’t be tested for diseases, as it’s against the law—is to crack down on crime and terrorism. Anyone who uses the DNA for other purposes, like revealing someone’s private information, will be in violation of the law as well. Likewise, forging DNA documents could result in a punishment of up to seven years in prison and/or a fine. Anyone who refuses to have his or her sample collected would also be in violation of the law, but the consequences of such a refusal remain unclear.
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www.cntraveler.com/stories/2016-05-04/kuwait-will-require-dna-sample-and-passport-to-enter
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