Spain’s Congress of Deputies on Thursday approved a bill that would create a special pathway to Spanish citizenship for Sahrawis born in the territory before Sept. 29, 1977, when the area was under Spanish administration.
The bill received 168 votes in favor, 31 against and 147 abstentions, clearing the way for it to move to the Senate for further consideration.
If ultimately approved and enacted, the legislation would allow eligible Sahrawis born in the territory during the specified period to apply for Spanish citizenship without meeting the standard residency requirement generally applicable to naturalization.
The proposed pathway would also extend to descendants of the original beneficiaries, subject to the deadlines and conditions established by the legislation.
The measure would not automatically confer Spanish citizenship on eligible Sahrawis. Applicants would have to submit individual applications and demonstrate that they meet the requirements set out in the law.
The legislation would broaden the range of documents that applicants could use to establish their birth in the territory during the relevant period, including official Spanish records as well as administrative, educational and medical documents and other evidence establishing the required connection.
Two-year residency requirement
In addition to the special pathway, the bill would reduce the period of legal residence required for Sahrawis seeking Spanish nationality through the ordinary residence-based procedure to two years, compared with the general requirement under Spanish nationality law.
The bill would also allow children of people who acquire Spanish citizenship under the new provisions to apply for citizenship themselves within the deadlines established by the legislation.
Contentious parliamentary process
The proposal faced a difficult path through Spain’s parliament.
The Socialist Party previously opposed an initiative to begin consideration of the legislation but later changed its position and backed the version approved Thursday.
The conservative Popular Party abstained in Thursday’s vote rather than joining those opposing the bill, while the far-right Vox party was the only political group to vote explicitly against it.
Left-wing and other political parties supported the initiative, arguing that it addresses a legal situation linked to Spain’s colonial past.
Potential sensitivity for Morocco
The vote comes against the backdrop of a complex relationship between Spain and Morocco. Bilateral ties have improved in recent years across several areas, while significant differences remain, particularly over the Moroccan Sahara and the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla.
The legislation also comes as Spain continues to debate the political and legal legacy of its former administration of the territory.
The bill does not, in legal terms, alter Spain’s official position on the Sahara dispute or establish a new political status for the territory. Its immediate purpose concerns nationality and the rights associated with Spanish citizenship.
However, the creation of a specific legal pathway for Sahrawis could renew debate in Spain over the country’s historical relationship with the territory and the legal consequences of its former administration.
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