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Spain Approves Sahrawi Citizenship Route for Colonial-Era Births — AI-generated representative image: The Spanish Congress of Deputies in Madrid, where a bill on Sahrawi citizenship was approved.

Editorial Team

Congress backs a special nationality path for Sahrawis born in Western Sahara before 1977, a move Morocco is watching closely amid Ceuta and Melilla tensions.

Spain's Congress has approved a bill opening a special route to Spanish citizenship for Sahrawis born in Western Sahara while the territory was under Spanish occupation. The measure passed by 168 votes to 31, with 145 abstentions, and must still clear the Senate before becoming law.

The proposed legislation would allow people born in the disputed territory before September 29, 1977, to apply for Spanish nationality without meeting standard residency requirements, with first-degree descendants also covered.

The bill matters because it touches the heart of a decades-old territorial dispute. Morocco considers Western Sahara part of its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front seeks independence, and Spain was the colonial power there until 1976. The measure does not change the territory's status, but it could create a larger community of Spanish and European Union citizens with direct personal or family ties to the issue.

For Rabat, that prospect sits uneasily alongside a recently repaired relationship with Madrid built on cooperation over migration, security and trade.

Key Provisions of the Bill

People born in Western Sahara before September 29, 1977 may apply for Spanish nationality through a special procedure without normal residency requirements.
First-degree descendants of those born in the territory are also eligible.
Eligible Sahrawis already living legally in Spain would see their residence requirement shortened from the usual 10 years to two years.
Successful applicants would become Spanish and European Union citizens, gaining the rights attached to that status.

Supporters describe the measure as addressing a historical injustice, arguing that people born under Spanish colonial rule were left in a difficult legal position after Spain withdrew in 1976.

Historical and Diplomatic Context

Spain administered Western Sahara until 1976, when it ended its colonial rule. The territory has remained disputed since, with Morocco claiming sovereignty and the separatist Polisario Front seeking independence. The Polisario is based in Tindouf, Algeria, where it administers refugee camps housing much of the Sahrawi population.

The bill arrives after a major shift in Spanish policy. In 2022, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's government backed Morocco's autonomy proposal for Western Sahara, calling it the most serious, realistic and credible basis for resolving the dispute. That decision repaired relations between Madrid and Rabat after a diplomatic crisis and led to strengthened cooperation on migration, security and trade.

Spain has previously used historical ties in nationality policy. In 2015, it allowed Sephardic Jews who could establish Sephardic origin and a special connection to Spain to apply for nationality, a measure linked to the expulsion of Jews from Spain beginning in 1492.

Political Divisions and Estimated Impact

The bill divided Spain's political parties. The governing Socialist Party and its allies in Sumar supported it, the conservative People's Party abstained, and Vox voted against it. The disagreement centred on how Spain should address the legacy of its former colonial rule and the legal route proposed for granting nationality.

Reuters has reported that between 70,000 and 110,000 people could eventually qualify, although estimates vary. Potential beneficiaries could include Sahrawis living in Western Sahara as well as members of the refugee population around Tindouf. The bill does not recognise the Polisario Front or an independent Sahrawi state, and acquiring Spanish citizenship would not indicate political support for the group.

The measure is also sensitive for Morocco because of Ceuta and Melilla, two cities on its northern coast under Spanish administration that Rabat claims as its own. Morocco could argue that if historical ties can establish present-day legal rights, then its own historical and geographical relationship with those cities should carry weight.

What Happens Next

The bill must now pass through Spain's Senate before it can become law. In territorial terms, the measure would not change who controls Western Sahara, determine its final status, or alter the United Nations-led political process, nor would it formally change Spain's support for Morocco's autonomy proposal.

Its significance lies mainly in the relationship between Madrid and Rabat, as it brings Spain's colonial history in Western Sahara into a broader domestic political debate. Further developments are expected as the Senate considers the legislation.