new policy permitting permanent residency status to the children and spouses of Qatari women.16 Though a positive development for affected families, the children and spouses of Qatari women continue to be denied access to a range of rights and privileges as a result of Qatari women’s inability to confer nationality on an equal basis with men. The arbitrary deprivation of nationality of Qatari citizens 17. The State of Qatar continues to deprive Qatari nationality from individuals. Often, this is due to their restriction on dual nationality, but also, as a mechanism through which to target political opponents or human rights defenders.17 For instance, in September 2017 following the diplomatic crisis between the GCC states, Qatar began withdrawing citizenship from individuals who were deemed to be sympathetic to Saudi Arabia, members of the Al Murra tribe.18 Recommendations 18. Based on the above information, the co-submitting organizations urge the SR Racism to raise the following issues: I. Ensure that all necessary steps are taken to amend the Citizenship Law to enable Qatari women to transfer nationality to their children and spouses without restriction, on an equal basis to men, and remove Qatar’s reservation to and ensure full compliance with the entirety of CEDAW Article 9. II. Facilitate independent research of, and then initiate clear procedures to identify and determine the number and profiles of all stateless individuals in Qatar, particularly the Bidoon and Al Murra communities. III. Take all necessary steps to protect the human rights and facilitate access to nationality for all stateless people in Qatar. IV. Amend the 2005 Citizenship Law to prevent arbitrary deprivation of nationality and to ensure redress and the right of appeal for all persons who have been deprived of their nationality, prohibit the deprivation of nationality that results in statelessness, and review and revise provisions that impose unfair socio-economic measures on those regaining nationality. V. Reinstate the nationality of all persons whose nationality was arbitrarily deprived, prioritizing members of the Al Murra tribe and those who have been rendered stateless. 16 Bloomberg - Qatar Is First Gulf State to Offer Expat Permanent Residency, September 5, 2018 available at: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-05/qatar-is-first-gulf-nation-to-grant-expats-permanent-residency. 17 The collective revocation of nationality was in contrast to Article 13 of Qatar’s 2005 Nationality Act, which states that “Save as otherwise provided for in the removal or withdrawal decision, the forfeiture of nationality shall only apply to the person concerned”, notably since the ‘save as otherwise provided for’ caveat provides for sweeping, arbitrary measures that are not consistent with human rights standards and basic human dignity. 18 For example, in September 2017, Qatar stripped Sheikh Talib bin Mohammed bin Lahoum bin Shraim Al Murra, the head of the tribe in Qatar, along with 54 members of his family and they fled to Saudi Arabia. In October 2017, the government revoked the nationality of well-known poet, Mohammad Bin Futais Al Marri. See: https://www.thenational.ae/world/tribal-chief-flees-tosaudi-arabia-after-qatar-strips-55-of-citizenship-1.628360; https://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/qatar/qatar-revokes-famous-poet-scitizenship-1.2098844. 4