MANAMA — A Bahraini minister sharply criticized Qatar Wednesday for offering citizenship to Sunni nationals of the small Gulf kingdom, warning of “action” if it does not end the practice.

Bahrain, like Qatar, has a Sunni Muslim regime, but its population is majority Shiite, and the loss of Sunnis would exacerbate that demographic imbalance.

Qatar has reportedly given nationality to Bahraini Sunnis, who must renounce their first citizenship in exchange.

“If the unfriendly policies by Qatar and the attempts to entice Bahrainis to give away their nationality continue, Bahrain will be forced to take action that it would have otherwise preferred not to,” Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid bin Abdullah al-Khalifa said.

The statement came after Bahrain announced the arrest of one of its citizens for taking a Qatari passport and renouncing his Bahraini nationality.

“Unfortunately, illegal procedures taken by Qatar led to the arrest of a member of a Bahraini family,” the minister said.

The interior ministry said Sunday that Bahrainis need its authorization before accepting another citizenship.

It is not clear why Qatar would engage in such action.

Doha was accused by its Arab neighbors earlier this year of supporting the Muslim Brotherhood, banned elsewhere in the Gulf, and Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates withdrew their envoys from Doha.

Meanwhile, Bahraini Shi’a have accused their own government of granting citizenship to thousands of Sunnis from abroad, and many demonstrated on Saturday against the practice.