Report on Citizenship Law: Bahrain in this situation, is if the father meet the requirements in the 1963 law to be naturalised, including by having been resident of Bahrain at least 15 years if he is an Arab or 25 years if he is a non-Arab. Another restriction was about transfer of citizenship to female spouses of Bahraini men. The 1963 law maintained from the former law that all foreign women married to male citizens, could acquire Bahraini citizenship. In 1981, a five-year requirement of continuation of marriage in order for the application to be approved, was introduced.12 Moreover, from 1989 not all children of a naturalised man could acquire Bahraini citizenship after their father manages to acquire citizenship by naturalisation; they have to be below the age of 18.13 Another change that has perhaps been for the better, is the removal of the requirement that the father or grandfather from the father’s side had to been born in Bahrain, in order for acquisition of citizenship for persons who are born abroad to a male citizen.14 Today, citizenship is acquired by descent through a Bahraini father, regardless of the place of birth of the person in concern and the father or grandfather. Most changes regarding acquisition of citizenship that are mentioned above were part of the amendment in 1989, whereas some of them were a result of the amendments in 1963 or 1981. The amendments to the Bahraini Citizenship Act up to the 1990s were thus primary concerned about amending modes of acquisition of citizenship. 2.3.2 Amendments regarding Loss of Citizenship The Bahraini Citizenship Act of 1963 has separate articles on loss (article 9) and withdrawal of citizenship (article 10), as well as a specific article on deprivation of citizenship of naturalised persons (article 8). The difference between the two first-mentioned, is that article 9 is more concerned with ‘technical causes’ such as dual citizenship that can lead to loss of citizenship, while article 10 is focused on offenses to the interests of the Kingdom that can result in withdrawal of citizenship. In this report, all three ‘types’ of citizenship revocations are discussed under the headline of ‘loss of citizenship’. The 1981 amendment had a provision about deprivation of citizenship of naturalised persons. The 1963 law stated that “if a [naturalised] person is found guilty on a case connected with honour and honesty (impugned integrity), within five years of his acquisition of Bahraini citizenship”, his citizenship is deprived of him. In 1981, the time span of five years was extended to ten years after acquisition of the Bahraini citizenship. Otherwise, the amendments in the late 20th century were, as mentioned above, mainly about changes to how to acquire the Bahraini citizenship. In contrast, the amendments so far in this century have focused on extending the reasons that can lead to loss of citizenship. In 2013, it was an amendment to another Bahraini law that had an impact on the regulation on loss of citizenship. The Law No (58) of 2006 with Respect to Protecting the Society from Terrorist Acts was amended, stating that citizenship can be revoked of persons found guilty in a crime stated in articles 5 to 9, 12 and 17 of the same law. The courts were to take such decisions on deprivation of citizenship based on terrorism-related charges.15 Since its introduction in 2013, this rule has been the most used cause of denaturalisations in Bahrain. In 12 Decree Law No (10) of 1981 Amending Bahrain Citizenship Act of 1963. Decree Law No (12) of 1989 Amending Bahraini Citizenship Act of 1963. 14 Decree Law No (12) of 1989 Amending Bahraini Citizenship Act of 1963. 15 Decree Law No (20) of 2013 Amending Law No (58) of 2006 with Respect to Protecting the Society from Terrorist Acts. English language translation is available via: https://www.mofa.gov.bh/Portals/0/pdf/AntiTerrorist/LAW%20NO.%20(58)%20OF%202006%20amended%20 by%20law%20(68)%20and%20(20)%20PDF.pdf (accessed 25 February 2021). 13 RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-CR 2021/6 - © 2021 Author(s) 5