In a historic session, the Spanish Congress (House of Representatives) witnessed a vote on a draft law aimed at facilitating the acquisition of Spanish citizenship by thousands of Sahrawis. This step is considered one of the most prominent legislative initiatives related to the Western Sahara issue in decades.
The law was approved by a majority of 168 votes (with the approval of the Socialist Party, the Somar Party, and other parties), while the opposition Vox Party voted no. But the decisive position was taken by the People's Party, whose members' abstention from voting contributed to resolving the matter and passing the law before the House of Representatives.
The draft law provides for granting Spanish citizenship to Sahrawis who were born in Western Sahara before September 29, 1977, that is, during the period of Spanish administration of the territory or during the period in which the legal effects of that administration continued.
According to supporters of the legislation, it will benefit about 70,000 people and will also have implications for new generations: it equalizes Sahrawis in the diaspora with those who remain in Western Sahara and with Latinos, Filipinos and residents of Equatorial Guinea to obtain citizenship after two years of legal residence in Spain.
The project's supporters see it as a form of historical reparation and recognition of Spain's responsibility towards the population of its former colony. Supporters of the law assert that Madrid is still morally indebted to the Sahrawis due to the circumstances of its withdrawal from the region in the 1970s.
“Today we are returning the Spanish ID card to the Sahrawis who once had it, and this country took it away from them,” said Soumare MP Tish Sidi, the driving force behind the law. Sidi, who was born in the Tindouf refugee camp, reminded during the plenary session of Parliament what it means to live as a stateless person: “The Sahrawi people have spent 50 years in immigration queues. There are minors who end up being rejected by officials with the words, ‘You do not exist.’”
The law proposes granting citizenship through the system of “naturalization by special decree”, or what is known in Spain as “Carta de Naturaleza”, which is an exceptional procedure used in cases of a special historical or humanitarian character.
Applicants will have to prove their connection to the territory during the period of Spanish administration through official documents such as old Spanish identity cards, birth certificates, family records, documents of the former colonial administration, as well as other documents that the Spanish authorities can accept as supporting evidence.
Although the draft law was approved by the Spanish House of Representatives today, the law will not enter into force directly. It must be referred to the Senate to complete the legislative process before its official issuance.
This step is being closely followed in Morocco and within Sahrawi circles and international organizations, because it is not only related to issues of nationality and identity, but also affects Spain’s historical role in the Western Sahara file, one of the oldest unresolved regional disputes on the international scene.
The session witnessed an emotional situation when the representative of Sahrawi origins, Tish Sidi, saluted Speaker of Parliament Franthena Armengol (who had previously adopted two Sahrawi girls as a foster mother) and her role in pushing the law.
This is not just a legal amendment to the Spanish citizenship system, but rather a file that combines history, politics, and identity. For thousands of Sahrawis, the law may open a long-awaited door to obtaining Spanish citizenship, while for Spain it represents a new test of how to deal with its colonial legacy in Western Sahara and the political and moral responsibilities resulting from it.
This parliamentary move comes at a time when relations between Madrid and Rabat are witnessing increasing sensitivity, especially after the recent migration crises in Ceuta. Although sources within the Socialist Party did not rule out a reaction or resentment from Rabat, they confirmed the independence of the Spanish decision.
Edited by: Imad Ghanem
