In Bahrain, an order was issued in September to evaluate the status of individuals who may pose a threat to the country’s security. This shows how serious the Kingdom of Bahrain is in taking action following the lack of stability in the region in which it sits. This order comes as a result of a recent report published by Arab Times, which indicated that King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa had stated explicitly to all agencies that were involved with protecting the citizens’ rights and ensuring Bahrain’s national security and stability that they would take action against any individual that has been identified as having committed treason or threatened national security and stability in any way possible by the revocation of their citizenship in Bahrain.
Therefore, the King of Bahrain’s evaluation indicates that any individual, whether they are Bahraini citizens or not, can be subject to having their citizenship stripped based on the assessment made by the King concerning whether or not this person poses a threat to Bahrain’s national and strategic interests.
One of the most important parts of this assessment is the impact that the location of Bahrain has on the future of the Arabian Gulf and its importance within the context of the overall security of the Middle East. Bahrain has been the base of operations for the United States’ Fifth Fleet and previously reported the use of missiles and drone strikes during periods of heightened tensions and conflict in the surrounding area.
Therefore, any decision made by Bahrain to reassess the security of its citizens and possibly strip them of their citizenship is an issue of great concern not only to Bahrain but also in the context of all the geopolitical tensions and developments in the Arabian Gulf.
The development of this policy revives an older, controversial discussion in Bahrain about the use of citizenship as a security measure rather than for legal status. In 2016, Reuters reported that the government had restricted the revocation of citizenship to emergencies or very serious situations. This distinction is important for the latest order from the Ministry of Interior; it shows that the country is once again using its power to create two categories of state loyalty: one that follows the government’s wishes and another that it sees as a threat.
The clear message from Bahrain is that, as the region is experiencing uncertainty, citizenship status is being viewed in the same manner as borders, infrastructure, and intelligence as a security issue. Although that policy may give government officials something that they can use as protection, it is also likely to increase the level of scrutiny of how countries define the concepts of loyalty, identity, and belonging whenever security is seen as the predominant lens through which a country is viewed.
