Spain’s Congress has approved a bill that would open a special route to Spanish citizenship for Sahrawis born in Western Sahara while the disputed territory was under Spanish occupation. The bill passed by 168 votes to 31, with 145 abstentions. It must still go through the Senate before it can become law.
So what exactly would the measure do, and why is Morocco watching it closely? The proposed law would allow people born in Western Sahara before September 29, 1977, to apply for Spanish nationality through a special procedure without having to meet the normal residency requirements. First-degree descendants would also be covered.
It would also shorten the duration of the residence requirement for eligible Sahrawis legally living in Spain. Instead of the usual 10 years, they would be able to apply after two years. Supporters describe the measure as a way of addressing what they see as a historical injustice.
Spain was the colonial power in Western Sahara until it ended its administration of the territory in 1976. The territory has remained disputed ever since, with Morocco considering it part of its sovereignty, while the separatist Polisario Front seeks independence. The law would not change the territorial status of Western Sahara.
It would not recognise an independent Sahrawi state, nor would Spanish citizenship give its holders sovereignty over the territory. The concern in Rabat is instead about the relationship the law could create between Spain and people with direct links to Western Sahara. has reported that between 70,000 and 110,000 people could eventually qualify, although estimates vary. Anyone who obtains Spanish nationality would also become a European Union citizen and acquire the rights that come with that status.
Potential beneficiaries could include eligible Sahrawis living in Western Sahara as well as members of the Sahrawi refugee population around Tindouf in Algeria, where the Polisario Front is based. For Morocco, that could mean a larger community of Spanish and EU citizens with personal or family ties to an issue at the centre of its relationship with Madrid. The bill comes after a significant change in Spain’s policy towards Western Sahara.
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