Madrid, Spain – For Mohamed Mohamedna, it was a historic moment.
On Thursday, the Spanish parliament backed citizenship for Western Saharans born within the North African territory when Madrid dominated it as a colony.
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Like different campaigners, 52-year-old Mohamedna had been ready for years for this gesture.
“This can be a nice, historic day,” he informed Al Jazeera. “I’ve been residing in Spain for 21 years however I’ve all the time been classed as having ‘no state’.”
Mohamedna, who has been residing in Vitoria in northwestern Spain and works for a personal firm, has been stateless since he arrived in Spain.
Spain’s decrease home of parliament overwhelmingly voted for the transfer, which analysts say may benefit greater than 100,000 Sahrawis.
Mohamedna hopes he’ll quickly be capable of apply for a Spanish passport.
However the invoice, which requires Senate approval earlier than changing into legislation, comes amid tensions between Spain and Morocco after greater than 70,000 migrants crossed into Spain’s North African enclave of Ceuta in July.
Rabat on Thursday refuted claims by Spanish opposition events that it had been concerned within the mass crossing which induced a world diplomatic row.
The Moroccan overseas ministry mentioned, “Why proceed to stage accusations towards Morocco when no proof, info or stories set up any involvement on the a part of Moroccan authorities?”
‘Recognise the Sahrawi inhabitants’s ties to Spain’
From 1884 till 1976, Western Sahara was underneath Spanish colonial rule. Morocco has lengthy laid declare to the world, which the United Nations classifies as a non-self-governing territory.
Makes an attempt to organise a referendum on whether or not it ought to turn into impartial or part of Morocco have lagged for years.
Spanish legislation says it would “recognise the Sahrawi inhabitants’s ties to Spain” and would additionally permit descendants of these granted citizenship to achieve it.
In line with representatives from the Algeria-backed Polisario Entrance, the independence motion which has fought for freedom for the territory from Morocco, some 110,000 Sahrawis may very well be eligible for Spanish citizenship.
As soon as the legislation takes impact, candidates have three years so as – extendable to 4 years – to hunt citizenship. As much as 70,000 Sahrawis can get Spanish citizenship in addition to their direct descendants – their sons or daughters – who can have 5 years to use after their mother and father are registered.
Sahrawis can be eligible to entry nationality by residence by way of an accelerated route, needing solely two years of authorized residence in Spain as a substitute of 10 years usually required for nationality.
This may put them on equal standing with residents of most Latin American international locations, Sephardic Jews, nationals of the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea and Portugal.
The invoice was handed by 168 votes in favour with 31 votes towards.
The ruling Socialists, the far-left Sumar and different regional events supported the invoice, whereas the opposition conservative Folks’s Celebration (PP) abstained and the far-right Vox get together voted towards it.
“With the adoption of this laws, we’re restoring – and I emphasise, restoring – the Spanish nationwide id card to these Sahrawis who as soon as held it and from whom this state took it away,” mentioned Tesh Sidi of the leftist Sumar coalition, who’s the primary lady of Sahrawi origin to serve in parliament, Reuters reported.
Spain’s delicate ties with Morocco
Spain and Morocco have a sticky diplomatic relationship over points together with migration, airspace, territorial waters, customs and land borders.
Pablo Simon, a political analyst on the College Carlos III in Madrid, warned of a conflict with Morocco.
“There are all the time causes for confrontations between Spain and Morocco,” he informed Al Jazeera. “However it is a historic [restoration of nationality] on the a part of Spain. Even the opposition PP has abstained.”
Nonetheless, Rabat has not formally condemned the citizenship transfer for Sahrawis.
In 2020, Morocco agreed to reopen its diplomatic mission in Tel Aviv as a part of the Abraham Accords signed throughout United States President Donald Trump’s first time period. In return, the US recognised Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Final yr, the US authorities mentioned it was authorising main investments in Moroccan-controlled Western Sahara.
The Polisario Entrance independence motion seeks recognition of an impartial state known as the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic. Many Sahrawis dwell in refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, or elsewhere overseas, whereas others stay in Western Sahara.
Spain had supported a referendum within the territory – consistent with UN resolutions – till Pedro Sanchez’s authorities made a shock change of coverage in 2022 and backed Morocco’s place.
The coverage swap got here within the wake of the crossing of greater than 8,000 migrants into Ceuta in 2021. Rabat mentioned it had allowed the migrants to cross the border from Morocco into the Spanish enclave in reprisal for Spain treating a Polisario chief, Brahim Ghali, in hospital in Logrono for COVID.
Tensions eased considerably after the shift, with Madrid describing Rabat’s autonomy proposal for Western Sahara as “critical, credible and sensible”.
‘Grandchildren legislation’
The legislation which has granted citizenship to Sahrawis is a part of a collection of initiatives underneath the so-called “grandchildren legislation”, which allowed descendants of Spaniards who went into exile or emigrated in the course of the Spanish Civil Struggle, between 1936-1939 and in the course of the dictatorship of Common Francisco Franco till 1975, to assert citizenship.
In a transfer to keep away from controversy with Morocco, the Socialist authorities agreed to take away the phrases “Sahrawi folks” and exchange it with “Sahrawi inhabitants” or just “Sahrawis”. However this upset the Socialists’ left-wing allies, Sumar, and so they have been defeated.
To show Sahrawi standing, candidates could present quite a lot of paperwork, together with a receipt exhibiting registration on the United Nations roll for the Western Sahara self-determination referendum, which by no means befell because it was banned by Rabat.
Different examples of proof embody a driver’s licence, a pension cost receipt, and different paperwork issued by a Spanish administration exhibiting start within the territory earlier than September 29, 1977.
“We now have been combating for this for a few years and at last it has come to go,” mentioned Mohamedna.
