Western Sahara Natives to Be Granted Spanish Citizenship

Público

Spain’s Congress has approved a law allowing people born in Western Sahara to obtain Spanish citizenship. The new measure covers people born during the period before Madrid ended its colonial rule over the region. Parliament described the decision as a historic restoration of the rights of the Sahrawi people, Público reports.

New Spanish Citizenship Law

The initiative was introduced on March 12, 2024, by the left-wing Sumar party, which is part of Pedro Sánchez’s governing bloc. In February 2025, a majority of MPs voted against granting Spanish citizenship to Sahrawis. Amendments were subsequently made to the bill, and in July 2026 the initiative was placed under an expedited procedure. On September 10, 2026, Congress approved the bill with the support of a majority of MPs. The People’s Party (PP) and Junts abstained, while Vox voted against it.

PP representative Pedro Muñoz said that Sahrawis could be granted citizenship after two years of residence in Spain. The party’s relevant amendments were not supported. According to Muñoz, the version of the law that was adopted does not provide sufficient safeguards for its proper implementation.

PSOE MP Artemi Rallo highlighted Spain’s decades-long humanitarian support for the Sahrawi people and specifically thanked the thousands of families who had hosted children from Western Sahara over the years.

Tesh Sidi of Más Madrid said that voting for the initiative meant supporting the Sahrawi people, while abstaining or voting against it meant choosing Morocco’s side. She noted that during Spanish rule, Western Sahara was effectively Spain’s “53rd province” and that the new law would help correct a historical injustice. Enrique Santiago, spokesperson for Izquierda Unida in the multi-party parliamentary group, described the adoption of the bill as a way to rectify the situation of the Sahrawi people while reaffirming Spain’s commitment to international law.

Background

Western Sahara was under Spanish rule from the late 19th century. In 1958, Madrid incorporated the territory into its provinces, and its residents were issued Spanish identity documents. After the colonial administration withdrew in 1975, the status of people born there during that period became an issue.

In August 1976, a special procedure was established for people from the Sahara who wished to obtain Spanish citizenship. Applicants were given one year to submit their applications. Complaints subsequently emerged from people who had failed to use the procedure within the allotted period. Such cases were considered individually, and court practice varied. In an official decision in 2007, for example, the authorities recognized a Western Sahara native as a Spanish citizen after he was able to prove long-term possession and use of Spanish documents. In 2020, however, Spain’s Supreme Court ruled that the territory could not be considered part of Spain and that being born there during the colonial period was not sufficient grounds for Spanish citizenship by origin.

After Spain’s withdrawal, the territory became the center of a conflict between Morocco and the Polisario Front. For Sahrawi organizations, relations with the former colonial power have remained a separate issue for decades alongside the territorial dispute.

Rabat considers the territory part of Morocco. Western Sahara remains a UN-listed Non-Self-Governing Territory, while Morocco controls most of it and the Polisario Front advocates independence. The new law does not alter Spain’s position on the territorial dispute. It concerns only the conditions for obtaining citizenship.

Who Can Obtain Spanish Citizenship

The new procedure applies to Sahrawis born in Western Sahara before September 29, 1977. Earlier versions referred to different dates, including February 1976, when Spain’s presence in Western Sahara ended. The date established by the law is linked to the special legal status of the Sahrawi people and their historical ties to Spain following decolonization. This category is not required to reside in Spain.

Applicants will not have to follow the standard procedure for obtaining citizenship based on a lengthy period of residence. The new law recognizes the existence of exceptional circumstances provided for under Spanish legislation for granting Spanish citizenship through a special procedure.

Separate provisions apply to the direct descendants of those who obtain citizenship under the new law. They will be able to use the mechanism under certain conditions within five years of their parents’ citizenship being registered.

Sahrawis who do not qualify for the special procedure but legally reside in Spain will have another option. They will be able to apply for citizenship after two years of residence, instead of the general ten-year period applicable to most foreigners.

Spain’s Migration Policy

Analysts at International Investment note that the decision concerning the Sahrawis fits into a broader trend in Spanish policy: Madrid has consistently expanded opportunities for foreigners to obtain legal status in the country. Long-running legalization programs have become an established tool of this model, while the economy’s demand for workers makes a sharp reversal of the policy unlikely.

The future of this approach will depend less on Spain’s willingness to grant legal status than on its response to rising irregular migration. The mass influx of migrants into Ceuta has strengthened the position of European countries that oppose this approach and argue that broad opportunities for subsequent legalization may encourage new migration flows. If pressure on Madrid continues, changes are more likely to focus on entry and border controls.

For Spain, this means maintaining a relatively liberal model amid increasingly stringent external constraints. The country needs migrants for its labor market, while also having to take into account the broader EU policy and the risks associated with irregular migration routes.