Spain approves citizenship for Sahrawis born under Spanish rule
The measure could affect about 80,000 Sahrawis and their descendants, and it now awaits Senate approval before taking effect.
- On Thursday, Spain's Parliament voted to grant citizenship to Sahrawis born during Spain's colonial administration of Western Sahara, approving the measure with 168 votes in favor, 31 against, and 145 abstentions.
- Spain controlled the North African territory from 1884 until 1976, and between 70,000 and 110,000 Sahrawis, many residing in refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, could be eligible for citizenship.
- Tesh Sidi of the Sumar coalition said, "We are restoring the Spanish national identity card to those Sahrawis who once held it," while the Socialist Party backed the bill and the People's Party abstained.
- Delicate relations with Morocco could worsen, as Morocco claims sovereignty over Western Sahara; Madrid previously backed Rabat's autonomy proposal as "serious, credible and realistic" in 2022.
- Descendants of eligible Sahrawis may also acquire Spanish citizenship under the new legislation, while the Algerian-backed Polisario Front continues seeking recognition for the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
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Socialist Spain is Granting EU Citizenship to Hundreds of Thousands of Africans as ‘Historic Reparation.’
Spain's move to grant citizenship to Sahrawis born under its colonial rule has sparked debate over reparations, migration policy, and the consequences of the socialist-led country's actions for the wider European Union.
The Spanish parliament agreed on Thursday to grant citizenship to Western Saharans who were born in the North African region when Madrid still administered it as a colony. Western Sahara has been disputed territory since 1976, when Spanish rule there ended. Morocco occupied the area and continues to fight the Algerian-backed Polisario rebels.
By opening Spanish nationality to tens of thousands of Saharawis, Madrid touches on one of the most sensitive issues in the Maghreb, as its relations with Rabat become more tense and warmer with Algiers.
Spain is preparing to make a historic decision rooted in its colonial past. If the new law is passed, 200,000 people in Western Sahara will be granted Spanish citizenship.
Up to 120,000 people can now apply for Spanish citizenship, and the law continues to burden the already tense relationship between Madrid and Rabat.
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