The Arab version of the Citizenship Law

[Colorado Blue]

Amid controversy surrounding the Israeli citizenship laws, it is instructive to read the following article about citizenship laws in Arab states.

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"We must preserve our unity and our nation. Our small strip of land and the high ratio of people per square kilometer (around 1,200) have made Bahrain into the most densely populated area after the Gaza Strip. This fact brings us to the contradiction between the demand to limit the birth rate - to provide greater opportunity for economic growth, and the demand to expand the granting of citizenship to foreigners, for demographic and political reasons. This is all the more so when the new citizens do not contribute anything from a social or economic perspective, but are a burden on society because they enjoy all the benefits and services."

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If the acquisition of citizenship by Arabs and foreigners is difficult and complex in Bahrain, as it is in other Arab countries, the acquisition of citizenship by Palestinian residents of these countries is extremely difficult. The argument that granting citizenship to Palestinians will affect their right of return is heavily employed by Arab countries, even when hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living in their domain are willing to accept citizenship in their country of residence and leave the right of return for the future.

Proof of this willingness can be found in an amendment to the Saudi Citizenship Law passed last October that went into affect this month. According to the amendment, Saudi residents who have been in the country for more than ten years and work in professions that the country needs - primarily doctors, engineers and technicians - can apply for citizenship.

There are thousands of Palestinian families in Saudi Arabia who meet these criteria. Indeed, when the applications started coming in, it turned out that thousands of Palestinians had submitted requests. This will be the first time that an Arab country - with the exception of Jordan - has been ready to grant citizenship to Palestinians, even if it comes with restrictions.

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more...

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/582913.html

[drdon326]

1. INFIDEL.

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