CAIRO — The Egyptian government’s approval Sept. 20 of a proposal to amend the country's nationality law raised controversy among politicians, legal experts and rights activists amid fears that the amendments might be targeting opponents of current regime policies.

According to a Sept. 20 statement by the Council of Ministers, the government’s proposed amendments would broaden the powers of the prime minister when it comes to taking nationality away from citizens. The proposed changes would add a provision that could revoke the nationality of Egyptians convicted of a crime harming state security, whether in Egypt or abroad, even if the person's parents were both Egyptian. The proposal also has a provision that would revoke Egyptian nationality acquired by a foreigner who joins any group or organization, inside or outside the country, aimed at harming the public order of the state.

Human rights activists and observers fear that if the amendments become law, the government would misuse them to take Egyptian nationality away from persons opposed to the regime under the pretext of protecting the country's security. The proposed amendments are expected to be submitted to the Egyptian Council of State for legal review before being referred to parliament, whose majority supports President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his government.

The assistant interior minister for passports, immigration and nationality, Gen. Ahmed Anwar, told Youm7 news website Sept. 26 that the proposed amendments aim to preserve Egyptian identity and nationality.