Bahrain plans to naturalize 15,000 residents of the Gulf state by the end of 2001, mostly members of the majority Shiite community, an official said Saturday, July 7. The undersecretary of state for immigration, Sheikh Rashed Bin Issa Al-Khalifa, quoted in Al-Ayyam newspaper, said 10,000 of the 15,000 applicants for naturalization were stateless.
Ninety-three percent of the applications expected to be approved by the end of this year are from residents of Iranian origin, whose community dates back several generations, he said.
The official denied charges from the Shiite opposition that priority had in the past been given to nationality seekers of Arab origin to tip the demographic balance in favor of Sunni Muslims.
Since 1950, Bahrain has naturalized a total of almost 43,000 people of whom less than 10,000 were Arabs, he said, noting however that the qualification was 15 years of residency for Arabs and 20 years for other residents.
Between 35 and 40 percent of Bahraini nationals are Sunnis, including the ruling Al-Khalifa family. Bahrain has a total population of almost 700,000, of whom 40 percent are foreigners, notably Asian workers. ― (AFP, Manama)
© Agence France Presse 2001
© 2001 Mena Report (www.menareport.com)
