Spain has granted citizenship to Sahrawis who were born during the period of Spanish rule

Spain's lower house voted on Thursday to provide citizenship to Sahrawis who were born during Madrid's administration of the North African territory of Western Sahara as a colony. This decision has the potential to escalate sensitive relations with Morocco.

The legislation, as stated by parliament, received approval with 168 votes in favor, 31 against, and 145 abstentions. It would also permit descendants of those granted citizenship to obtain it.

Local media reports suggest that between 70,000 and 110,000 Sahrawis may qualify for Spanish citizenship.

Spain's ruling Socialist Party and its junior left-wing partner Sumar, which filed the initiative, were among those who supported the bill, while the opposition conservative People's Party abstained and far-right Vox voted against it. "With the adoption of this legislation, we are restoring—and I emphasize, restoring—the Spanish national identity card to those Sahrawis who once held it and from whom this state took it away," stated Tesh Sidi of the leftist Sumar coalition, the first woman of Sahrawi origin to serve in parliament.

Tensions with Morocco

Tensions have escalated between Spain and Morocco after the arrival of over 70,000 migrants in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in July.

Spain governed Western Sahara through different administrative structures from 1884 until 1976. Morocco asserts its sovereignty over Western Sahara and began exercising control over the territory after the end of Spanish rule.

The Polisario Front, supported by Algeria, is pursuing recognition for an independent state known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Many Sahrawis reside in refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, or in various locations abroad, while others continue to live in Western Sahara.

Spain had previously supported a referendum in the territory, aligning with United Nations resolutions, until Sanchez's government changed its stance in 2022 and endorsed Morocco's position.

Tensions eased somewhat after that shift, with Madrid characterizing Rabat's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as "serious, credible, and realistic."