Why Spain’s Proposed Sahrawi Citizenship Bill Raises Concerns in Morocco

Spain’s proposed citizenship route for Sahrawis is bringing its colonial legacy in Western Sahara back into the political spotlight and testing its delicate ties with Morocco, according to Hannah McNeish from Al Jazeera. 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, and must still go through the Senate before it can become law.

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 normal residency requirements. First-degree descendants would also be covered, and the duration of the residence requirement for eligible Sahrawis legally living in Spain would be shortened from 10 years to two years. Supporters describe the measure as a way of addressing a historical injustice, given that Spain was the colonial power in Western Sahara until ending its administration in 1976.

While the law would not change the territorial status of Western Sahara or recognise an independent Sahrawi state, Rabat is concerned about the relationship the legislation could create between Spain and people with direct links to Western Sahara. Reuters has reported that between 70,000 and 110,000 people could eventually qualify, granting them European Union citizenship and associated rights. Potential beneficiaries include eligible Sahrawis living in Western Sahara as well as refugees around Tindouf in Algeria, where the Polisario Front is based.

The bill follows a significant shift in Spain’s policy towards Western Sahara in 2022, when Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government backed Morocco’s autonomy proposal for the territory. Although the new citizenship measure does not formally change Spain’s support for that proposal, the two issues remain closely linked from Morocco's perspective. Inside Spain, the bill has divided political parties, with the governing Socialist Party and its allies in Sumar supporting it, the People’s Party abstaining, and Vox voting against it.