Bahrain refutes reports on citizenship

Manama: The interior ministry has denied as "baseless and lacking credibility" reports claiming that 2,100 foreigners have recently been given the Bahraini nationality.

Husain Sultan, the MP representing Al Wefaq Society, last Thursday claimed that fresh reports showed that the interior ministry had illegally granted the nationality visas to undeserving applicants in the past two weeks.

"The ministry has breached the constitution and violated the law by offering the Bahraini citizenship to people who do not meet the requirements," Husain said in a statement, a copy of which was sent to Gulf News. "What is happening is wrong because it's targeting the state and affects the quality and standards of its services, health and education," it stated.

But the ministry said that that it was not aware of the mass naturalisation mentioned by the MP from Al Wefaq. "We would like to confirm that the directorate regularly receives applications and that they are treated according to the text and spirit of the citizenship law whose standards match those advocating international human rights and which give people the right to keep or change their nationality," Shaikh Rashid Bin Khalifa Al Khalifa, the ministry undersecretary for nationality, passports and residence, said.