‘A historic day’: Spain moves closer to citizenship for Western Saharans

Madrid, Spain – For Mohamed Mohamedna, it was a historic moment.

On Thursday, the Spanish parliament backed citizenship for Western Saharans calved successful the North African territory erstwhile Madrid ruled it arsenic a colony.

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• list 1 of 1Spain’s Parliament backs citizenship for Western Saharans calved earlier 1977

Like different campaigners, 52-year-old Mohamedna had been waiting for years for this gesture.

“This is simply a great, historical day,” helium told Al Jazeera. “I person been surviving successful Spain for 21 years but I person ever been classed arsenic having ‘no state’.”

Mohamed Mohamedna is 1 of tens of thousands who could soon beryllium granted Spanish nationality [Courtesy of Mohamed Mohamedna]

Mohamedna, who has been surviving successful Vitoria successful northwestern Spain and works for a backstage company, has been stateless since helium arrived successful Spain.

Spain’s little location of parliament overwhelmingly voted for the move, which analysts accidental could payment much than 100,000 Sahrawis.

Mohamedna hopes helium volition soon beryllium capable to use for a Spanish passport.

But the bill, which requires Senate support earlier becoming law, comes amid tensions betwixt Spain and Morocco aft much than 70,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta successful July.

Rabat connected Thursday refuted claims by Spanish absorption parties that it had been progressive successful the wide crossing which caused an planetary diplomatic row.

The Moroccan overseas ministry said, “Why proceed to level accusations against Morocco erstwhile nary evidence, facts oregon reports found immoderate engagement connected the portion of Moroccan authorities?”

‘Recognise the Sahrawi population’s ties to Spain’

From 1884 until 1976, Western Sahara was nether Spanish assemblage rule. Morocco has agelong laid assertion to the area, which the United Nations classifies arsenic a non-self-governing territory.

Attempts to organise a referendum connected whether it should go autarkic oregon a portion of Morocco person lagged for years.

Spanish instrumentality says it volition “recognise the Sahrawi population’s ties to Spain” and would besides let descendants of those granted citizenship to summation it.

According to representatives from the Algeria-backed Polisario Front, the independency question which has fought for state for the territory from Morocco, immoderate 110,000 Sahrawis could beryllium eligible for Spanish citizenship.

Once the instrumentality takes effect, applicants person 3 years successful bid – extendable to 4 years – to question citizenship. Up to 70,000 Sahrawis tin get Spanish citizenship arsenic good arsenic their nonstop descendants – their sons oregon daughters – who volition person 5 years to use aft their parents are registered.

Sahrawis volition beryllium eligible to entree nationality by residence via an accelerated route, needing lone 2 years of ineligible residence successful Spain alternatively of 10 years mostly required for nationality.

This volition enactment them connected adjacent lasting with citizens of astir Latin American countries, Sephardic Jews, nationals of the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal.

The measure was passed by 168 votes successful favour with 31 votes against.

The ruling Socialists, the far-left Sumar and different determination parties supported the bill, portion the absorption blimpish People’s Party (PP) abstained and the far-right Vox enactment voted against it.

“With the adoption of this legislation, we are restoring – and I emphasise, restoring – the Spanish nationalist individuality paper to those Sahrawis who erstwhile held it and from whom this authorities took it away,” said Tesh Sidi of the leftist Sumar coalition, who is the archetypal pistillate of Sahrawi root to service successful parliament, Reuters reported.

Spain’s delicate ties with Morocco

Spain and Morocco person a sticky diplomatic narration implicit issues including migration, airspace, territorial waters, customs and onshore borders.

Pablo Simon, a governmental expert astatine the University Carlos III successful Madrid, warned of a clash with Morocco.

“There are ever reasons for confrontations betwixt Spain and Morocco,” helium told Al Jazeera. “But this is simply a historical [restoration of nationality] connected the portion of Spain. Even the absorption PP has abstained.”

However, Rabat has not officially condemned the citizenship determination for Sahrawis.

In 2020, Morocco agreed to reopen its diplomatic ngo successful Tel Aviv arsenic portion of the Abraham Accords signed during United States President Donald Trump’s archetypal term. In return, the US recognised Moroccan sovereignty implicit Western Sahara.

Last year, the US authorities said it was authorising large investments successful Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.

The Polisario Front independency question seeks designation of an autarkic authorities called the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Many Sahrawis unrecorded successful exile camps successful Tindouf, Algeria, oregon elsewhere abroad, portion others stay successful Western Sahara.

Spain had supported a referendum successful the territory – successful enactment with UN resolutions – until Pedro Sanchez’s authorities made a astonishment alteration of argumentation successful 2022 and backed Morocco’s position.

The argumentation power came successful the aftermath of the crossing of much than 8,000 migrants into Ceuta successful 2021. Rabat said it had allowed the migrants to transverse the borderline from Morocco into the Spanish enclave successful reprisal for Spain treating a Polisario leader, Brahim Ghali, successful infirmary successful Logrono for COVID.

Tensions eased somewhat aft the shift, with Madrid describing Rabat’s autonomy connection for Western Sahara arsenic “serious, credible and realistic”.

‘Grandchildren law’

The instrumentality which has granted citizenship to Sahrawis is portion of a bid of initiatives nether the alleged “grandchildren law”, which allowed descendants of Spaniards who went into exile oregon emigrated during the Spanish Civil War, betwixt 1936-1939 and during the dictatorship of General Francisco Franco until 1975, to assertion citizenship.

In a determination to debar contention with Morocco, the Socialist authorities agreed to region the words “Sahrawi people” and regenerate it with “Sahrawi population” oregon simply “Sahrawis”. But this upset the Socialists’ left-wing allies, Sumar, and they were defeated.

To beryllium Sahrawi status, applicants whitethorn amusement a assortment of documents, including a receipt showing registration connected the United Nations rotation for the Western Sahara self-determination referendum, which ne'er took spot arsenic it was banned by Rabat.

Other examples of impervious see a driver’s licence, a pension outgo receipt, and different documents issued by a Spanish medication showing commencement successful the territory earlier September 29, 1977.

“We person been warring for this for galore years and yet it has travel to pass,” said Mohamedna.