Bahrain reviews citizenship status of individuals deemed disloyal amid Iran war

9 articles · Updated · DW (English) · Apr 28

The Bahraini government announced in late April it will review citizenship for those considered disloyal, following recent arrests of up to 250 people over alleged anti-war messages and ties to Iran.
This move echoes previous mass revocations, with nearly 990 Bahrainis stripped of nationality since 2012, and raises concerns among rights activists about renewed suppression of dissent, especially targeting Shia and citizens of Persian descent.
Experts note a regional trend, with Gulf states like Kuwait and Oman intensifying citizenship controls since the Iran war began, reflecting a broader global shift toward weaponizing citizenship as a tool for political control.

As the Iran war escalates, are Gulf states revoking citizenship to purge dissent or to ensure national security?

Is the global trend of revoking citizenship a new threat or a return to older, loyalty-based nationality laws?

Beyond the Middle East, how are regimes worldwide transforming nationality into a political weapon of control?

Stripped of their nationality, what happens to the thousands left stateless in countries like Kuwait and Bahrain?

With international law failing to prevent statelessness, is the right to a nationality becoming a meaningless concept?

Could a new Supreme Court case redefine birthright citizenship for millions of Americans born to foreign nationals?