by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief
MADRID/RABAT (Worthy News) – Spanish-Moroccan relations, already strained over migration, faced more pressure Friday after Spain’s lower house of parliament approved legislation that would grant Spanish citizenship to tens of thousands of Sahrawis born when Madrid administered Western Sahara.
The legislature’s move came despite Morocco claiming sovereignty over Western Sahara and controlling most of the disputed North African territory.
Rabat had not immediately issued a specific response to the legislation, which still requires approval by Spain’s Senate before becoming law.
However, Morocco warned Thursday against being made a “scapegoat” in Spanish political disputes and cautioned that poor management of bilateral relations could lead to “chronic distrust and recurring tensions.”
CEUTA MIGRATION CRISIS
The vote came at a sensitive moment as tensions between the two countries have risen following the mass arrival of more than 70,000 migrants in Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in late July.
Most have since returned, but thousands remain in the enclave, while over 100 people died during the mass crossing, according to aid groups.
Despite these tensions, the legislation was approved Thursday by 168 votes in favor, 31 against and 145 abstentions. The ruling Socialists and their junior coalition partner Sumar backed the measure, the conservative Popular Party abstained, while the far-right Vox opposed it.
That came as welcome news for first-generation descendants, who would also be eligible to acquire Spanish citizenship.
SAHRAWIS CELEBRATE VOTE
An estimated 70,000 to 110,000 Sahrawis could qualify for Spanish citizenship, according to Spanish media.
Sahrawis watching proceedings from the visitors’ gallery celebrated after the result was announced, making victory signs as supportive lawmakers applauded.
Sumar legislator Tesh Sidi, the first woman of Sahrawi origin to serve in Spain’s parliament, described the measure as correcting a “historical injustice.”
Spain governed Western Sahara from the late 19th century until 1976.
SPANISH WITHDRAWAL
Many Sahrawis were subsequently left without an effective route to Spanish citizenship as Madrid withdrew from its former colony.
Western Sahara then became the focus of a territorial conflict involving Morocco and the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, which seeks an independent state known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic.
An estimated 170,000 Sahrawi refugees continue to live in camps around Tindouf in neighboring Algeria, while others remain in Western Sahara or abroad.
“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,” Sidi told parliament.
WESTERN SAHARA DISPUTE
“This law does not belong to any government, it belongs to an entire people,” she added.
The legislation would create a special route to citizenship for Sahrawis born in Western Sahara before September 29, 1977, as well as their first-generation descendants.
Applicants could use Spanish-era identity cards, birth certificates, school or medical records and other documentation to demonstrate eligibility.
The vote came after Spain had long supported a referendum on Western Sahara’s future in line with United Nations efforts. Yet Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s government changed course in 2022 and backed Morocco’s autonomy proposal as “serious, credible and realistic.”
SPAIN SHIFTS MOROCCO POLICY
The policy shift helped improve Madrid’s relations with Rabat while angering Algeria and supporters of Sahrawi independence.
However, the nationality issue remains sensitive. Sahrawis who acquire Spanish nationality would also become European Union citizens, giving them rights including freedom to live and work across the 27-nation bloc.
That would put successful Sahrawi applicants in a different legal position from Moroccan citizens, who do not automatically enjoy EU citizenship and its associated free-movement rights.
The distinction is likely to add another source of friction between Madrid and Rabat, according to a Worthy News assessment.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
