Spain Just Made it Easier for 100,000 Western Saharans to Become Citizens

For 52-year-old Mohamed Mohamedna, who has spent 21 years in Spain officially classified as having “no state,” a recent vote in the Spanish parliament was a rather big deal. Lawmakers overwhelmingly backed a plan to offer citizenship to Western Saharans — specifically, those born in the North African territory when Spain was still calling the shots as its colonial ruler.

Mohamedna, who works for a private company in Vitoria, northwest Spain, is now looking forward to applying for a Spanish passport. Because, apparently, being stateless for two decades is quite enough. He told Al Jazeera it was a "great, historic day." One can imagine.

The Path to a Passport

This isn't just about Mohamedna, though. Analysts believe this move could extend Spanish citizenship to over 100,000 Sahrawis. The bill still needs Senate approval, but the lower house vote was a clear signal.

Western Sahara was under Spanish colonial rule from 1884 to 1976. Morocco claims the area now, but the United Nations still considers it a non-self-governing territory. Efforts for an independence referendum have been stalled for years, leaving many in a kind of geopolitical limbo.

Spain’s new law aims to "recognize the Sahrawi population's ties to Spain." It also allows descendants of those granted citizenship to follow suit. The Polisario Front, an independence movement backed by Algeria, estimates around 110,000 Sahrawis could be eligible.

Once the law is active, applicants get three years (potentially four) to apply. Sahrawis will also get an accelerated path to nationality by residence, needing only two years of legal residency in Spain instead of the usual ten. This puts them on par with citizens from Latin American countries, Sephardic Jews, and nationals from the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, and Portugal. Which, if you think about it, is a rather specific list.

The bill passed with 168 votes in favor and 31 against, with the conservative People’s Party abstaining and the far-right Vox party voting no. Tesh Sidi of the leftist Sumar coalition, the first woman of Sahrawi origin in parliament, noted that the law essentially restores a Spanish national identity to those who once held it.

Navigating the Neighbors

This move comes amidst ongoing, shall we say, complex relations between Spain and Morocco. Their diplomatic dance involves migration, airspace, territorial waters, and borders. Political analyst Pablo Simon warned of potential clashes with Morocco, though Rabat hasn't officially condemned the citizenship move yet.

Spain’s policy on Western Sahara has been a bit of a rollercoaster. They used to back a UN-supported referendum for independence, but then in 2022, Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s government pivoted to support Morocco’s autonomy proposal. This shift followed a 2021 incident where Morocco apparently allowed 8,000 migrants to cross into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in response to Spain treating a Polisario leader for COVID.

To prove Sahrawi status for citizenship, applicants can dig up old documents like a receipt from the UN roll for the never-happened Western Sahara self-determination referendum, or even a Spanish driver’s license showing birth in the territory before September 29, 1977. Because nothing says “you’re one of us” like a vintage driving permit.

Mohamedna, for his part, expressed simple relief: "We have been fighting for this for many years and finally it has come to pass." Sometimes, the biggest victories are the quiet ones that just make bureaucratic sense.