The story: The tragic death of an impoverished ‘bidoon’ child in Kuwait has revived debate on the legal status of the stateless minority. The Kuwaiti government refuses to naturalize the bidoon, preventing them from accessing public services, gaining formal employment, and attaining basic civil rights. Kuwaiti activists have framed it as a human rights issue, calling on lawmakers to remedy the situation.

The coverage: Bidoon is short for bidoon jinsiya, meaning “without nationality” in Arabic. Most of the stateless in Kuwait hail from Arab tribes who lived in the country in 1961...