(Ahlul Bayt News Agency) - Bahrain's main opposition party al-Wefaq says the regime of Al Khalifa has been granting citizenship to a broad range of residents from other Persian Gulf littoral countries since 2001 in a bid to make major changes in the demographics of the island nation.
According to the report, the Bidun residents should apply for a Bahraini passport in a third-party country. They can then petition for Bahraini citizenship after arrival in Manama.
The decision comes after an agreement between Kuwait City and Manama.
The move by the Al Khalifa regime will result in unfavorable social, economic and political outcomes, says al-Wefaq.
The stateless residents have lived in Kuwait since its independence from Britain in 1961, but Kuwaiti law bans courts from ruling on citizenship claims of the Bidun.
According to Human Rights Watch, the Bidun in Kuwait live under “vulnerable” conditions and “without protection,” and the government considers them “illegal residents.”+
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