Spain grants citizenship to Sahrawis born under its rule

Key facts

• Spain's lower house approved legislation granting citizenship to Sahrawis born during Spanish rule of Western Sahara.
• The bill could strain relations with Morocco.
• An estimated 70,000 to 110,000 Sahrawis may be eligible for citizenship.
• The ruling Socialist Party and Sumar coalition supported the bill.
• The opposition People's Party abstained, and the far-right Vox party voted against it.
• Spain administered Western Sahara from 1884 until 1976.

Spain's lower house approved legislation on Thursday to grant citizenship to Sahrawis born during the period when Madrid administered the North African territory of Western Sahara. The move is expected to complicate relations with Morocco, which claims sovereignty over the region.

The bill, which passed with 168 votes in favor, 31 against, and 145 abstentions, also allows descendants of eligible individuals to acquire Spanish citizenship. Local media estimates that between 70,000 and 110,000 Sahrawis could qualify.

Spain's ruling Socialist Party and its coalition partner Sumar supported the initiative, while the opposition conservative People's Party abstained and the far-right Vox party voted against it. Tesh Sidi, a member of the Sumar coalition and the first woman of Sahrawi origin in parliament, stated that the legislation would restore Spanish national identity to those who once held it.

Tensions between Spain and Morocco have been heightened by recent events, including the arrival of thousands of migrants in Spain's North African enclave of Ceuta in July. Spain controlled Western Sahara from 1884 until 1976. Morocco asserted control over the territory after Spanish rule ended, while the Algerian-backed Polisario Front independence movement seeks an independent Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.

Spain previously supported a referendum in the territory in line with UN resolutions but shifted its stance in 2022, backing Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, which Madrid described as "serious, credible and realistic." This shift had eased tensions between the two countries.