Ceuta: Spain plans to naturalize tens of thousands of people from Western Sahara

Disputed territory

Spain plans to naturalize tens of thousands of people from Western Sahara

The Spanish House of Representatives has voted, reigniting a debate that extends far beyond Spain’s borders. Up to 200,000 people are affected.

The Spanish House of Representatives has approved a bill that would allow people from Western Sahara and their descendants to obtain Spanish citizenship. Between 80,000 and almost 200,000 people who were born in the former Spanish colony before September 29, 1977 or who descended from there could be affected. Before the law can come into force, the Senate must approve it.

The draft goes back to the government of Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. Since the withdrawal of Spain, Western Sahara on the northwest coast of Africa has been largely occupied by Morocco controlled. The remaining part is held by the Frente Polisario independence movement from the neighboring country Algeria is supported. The United Nations officially lists the territory as non-self-governing. Spain In 2022, it abandoned its long-standing neutral stance in the conflict and sided with Morocco.

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Conservative and right-wing extremist opposition parties in Spain reject the plan. Morocco’s government has not yet officially commented on this.

The law comes at a time of tense relations between Madrid and Rabat. Over two days at the end of July, more than 70,000 people walked or swam from Morocco to the Spanish exclave Ceuta reached North Africa. Most returned or were returned shortly afterwards, but thousands of migrants remain there. According to Spanish information, there were dozens of deaths in the mass crush.

As a result, speculation arose that Morocco may have intentionally allowed the people to pass through, for example in response to a visit by Sánchez to Algeria in July. Since then, Sánchez has repeatedly rejected Morocco’s responsibility, which the Spanish opposition sharply criticized.

On the same day, the Moroccan government also stated that there was no evidence of involvement of Moroccan authorities in the incidents in Ceuta. A statement from the Moroccan Foreign Ministry, carried by state news agency MAP, said Morocco did not want to be used as a “scapegoat” for party-political squabbles in Spain.