Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Ottawa

1. Overview

The website of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) indicates that law enforcement services in Bahrain are provided by the Public Security Forces (PSF), a branch of the Ministry of Interior (Interpol n.d.). The PSF is structured as follows:

• Five regional police departments:
  • Manama
  • Muharraq
  • Shamaliyah
  • Janabiyah
  • Wusta
• Special Forces Department;
• Special Protections Department;
• Counter Terrorism Centre;
• General Directorate of Guards;
• Traffic Police;
• Operations Department;
• Coast Guard. (ibid.)

The Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC), a non-profit organization based in London which produces research on "hate crime, discrimination [and] the nature of human rights" (IHRC n.d.), indicates that the National Guard, which was estbalished in 1997, is also part of Bahrain's public security apparatus

and consists of about 2,000 personnel, the majority of which consists of non-Bahraini personnel, recruited heavily from Pakistan along with a smaller percentage coming from neighbouring Arab countries, such as Yemen, Jordan, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. (ibid., 29 Apr. 2014)

Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

2. Pre-Employment Screening

In correspondence with the Research Directorate, a professor of political science at the University of Tübingen, Germany, who specializes in Bahraini Politics, stated that

[s]pecific details of screening processes is not publicly available, yet it is beyond mere anecdotal evidence that we know that such procedures take place. This evidence takes the form of historical documents, although some of the procedures may have been updated. Political allegiances and previous political leanings will be of prime importance. Bahrain's long history of perceived vulnerability to regional and global movements such as communism and Arab nationalism makes them sensitive to recruiting those who may have anti-monarchical political leanings. (Professor 21 Aug. 2016)

Further and corroborating information on security or other types of screenings for security services in Bahrain could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

3. Bahraini Citizenship for Persons Employed in the Security Services

According to the Professor, granting Bahraini citizenship for persons employed in the security services "is common, and a perfectly legal process in Bahrain under [Article 6 of] the citizenship act of 1963" (ibid.) An unofficial English translation of the Bahraini Citizenship Act 1963 (amended 1981) indicates the following on "Bahrainis by Naturalization":

6. (1) The Bahraini Citizenship may be granted, by order from His Majesty the Governor, to any alien of full legal capacity, if requested by the alien who should meet the following requirements:

1. He has made Bahrain, his usual place of residence legally for at least twenty five consecutive years or fifteen years consecutively for Arab nationals, provided, however, that this period shall commences after the effective date of this act.
2. Shall be of good conduct
3. Must be conversant in Arabic.
4. Shall have a real estate in Bahrain registered in his name at the Land Registry Office of the Government of Bahrain.

(2) Notwithstanding, the above Bahraini citizenship may be granted to anyone, by order of His Majesty the Governor. Bahraini Citizenship may also be granted, by Order of His Majesty the Governor, to any Arab person, upon his request, if that person has rendered Bahrain great services.

(3) An alien who has obtained the citizenship of Bahrain by virtues of this article, shall not be entitled to voting rights, representation, nomination or appointment in local councils (except clubs and private associations), except after the lapse of ten years from date of acquiring the citizenship. This provision is applicable to persons, who have acquired the Bahraini nationality before the effective date of this Act and the ten years span, begins from the effective date of this Act.

…

(Bahrain 1963)

The Professor also gave the view that "the King essentially has the discretion to award citizenship, bypassing parliament" and explained that because of this, statistics about naturalisation "are not clear" (Professor 21 Aug. 2016). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

The US Department of State's Background Notes on Bahrain published on 13 January 2012 indicates that,

[i]n June 2002, the King issued a decree allowing citizens of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to take up dual Bahraini nationality. Opposition political groups charge that the government is granting citizenship to foreign nationals who have served in the Bahraini armed forces and security services to alter the demographic balance of the country, which is primarily Shi'a. According to passport officials, about 40,000 individuals have been naturalized over the past 50 years.

The IHRC similarly states that, over the years, foreign nationals working for Bahraini security services have been "granted Bahraini citizenship within the hidden ongoing project of demographic sectarian change to marginalise the Shia Muslim citizens in Bahrain" (IHRC 29 Apr. 2014).

Information on types of services and activities that would entitle a foreign national to Bahraini citizenship could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

4. Whether Persons Employed in the Security Services are Required to Practice a Certain Religion

According to the Professor, the requirement for persons employed in Bahraini security services to practice a certain religion "is mitigated by the fact that religion is screened for" and that, to his knowledge, "there is no compulsion to practise" (Professor 21 Aug. 2016). The same source, however, stated that

Shia personnel will almost certainly not be recruited from abroad. Bahrainis recruited locally who are Shia will mostly be excluded from institutions such as the Bahrain Defence Force, while few Bahraini Shia will enjoy positions of high ranking authority in the state police. ... [T]he more powerful the institution in terms of military capacity, the less likely it will be to have Shia in high ranking positions. Shia citizens are required to have a certificate of good behaviour before joining the police. (ibid.)

The Professor noted that Bahrain's "sectarian topography" encourages Sunni practice (ibid.). He cited the example of a town near Awali which houses employees of security services and the town "only has Sunni mosques. Given the fact that everyone in town is a Sunni, facilities for Shia are lacking" (ibid.). Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

Bahrain. 1963. Bahraini Citizenship Act 1963 (Amended 1981). [Accessed 30 Aug. 2016]

International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol). N.d. "Bahrain." [Accessed 18 Aug. 2016]

Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC). 29 April 2014. "Mercenaries in Bahrain: The Cruel Crackdown of the Uprising." [Accessed 10 Aug. 2016]

Islamic Human Rights Commission (IHRC). N.d. "About IHRC." [Accessed 7 Sept. 2016]

Professor, Institute of Political Science, University of Tübingen. 21 August 2016. Correspondence with the Research Directorate.

United States (US). 13 January 2012. Department of State. "Bahrain." Background Notes. [Accessed 10 Aug. 2016]

Additional Sources Consulted

Oral Sources: Professor of Middle East politics, School of Government and International Affairs, Durham University.

Internet sites, including: 4PMnews.com; 7 Days; Akhbar Al Khaleej; Al Jazeera; Al-Wasat; Amnesty International; Asian Human Rights Commission; Bahrain – Ministry of Interior; Bahrain Centre for Human Rights; Bahrain Mirror; Bahrain News Agency (BNA); Bahrain Watch; BBC; Campaign Middle East; Centre for Policy Dialogue; Chr. Michelsen Institute; Daily Tribune; Deutsche Welle; ecoi.net; The Economist; Emirates 24/7; Factiva; Freedom House; The Guardians; Gulf Daily News; Gulf Madhyamam; Gulf News; The Gulf Today; Human Rights Watch; International Crisis Group; Inter-Parliamentary Union; Jane's Intelligence Review; Khaleej Times; Malayala Manorama; Media One Gulf; Middle East Institute; The National; News of Bahrain; The New York Times; Reuters; Trade Arabia; United Nations – Refworld, ReliefWeb, Statistics Division; United States – Central Intelligence Agency, Department of Defense, Library of Congress; The Washington Post.