Spain’s Parliament has passed a bill granting Spanish nationality to Western Saharans born before 29 September 1977, according to Euronews and Al Jazeera. The law now moves to the Senate for final approval. The bill, championed by Sumar, the smaller party in Spain’s coalition government, was passed by 168 votes to 31. The People’s Party abstained, and far-right Vox voted against it.

Eligibility and Documentation

To qualify, applicants must prove their status using a valid document, a Spanish ID card, an entry in the UN-verified census, or a birth certificate, as reported by Euronews. Less formal documents, such as school records, retirement pension paperwork, a Spanish driver’s license, or hospital and medical records, can also be used as evidence.

The law grants citizenship to Sahrawis born before 29 September 1977 and to their children through a certificate of naturalisation, according to Euronews. This date is considered the effective end of decolonisation. The exact number of beneficiaries is unknown, but around 80,000 Sahrawis are believed to be eligible, with some estimates reaching almost 200,000 including the descendants.

Political Support and Opposition

The Catalan pro-independence party Junts also abstained in the vote, according to Euronews. The bill was originally supported in its early stages by the People’s Party and Vox, but both parties later voted against it. Morocco, according to Al Jazeera, has reportedly expressed no objection to Sahrawis obtaining Spanish citizenship, with Moroccan media quoting Ramadan Messaoud, a member of the Royal Advisory Council for Saharan Affairs, as saying in July that Rabat had “no problem” with Sahrawis obtaining Spanish citizenship.

“With the adoption of this legislation, we are restoring – and I emphasise, restoring, the Spanish national identity card to those Sahrawis who once held it and from whom this state took it away,” said Tesh Sidi of the leftist Sumar coalition, the first woman of Sahrawi origin to serve in Spain’s Parliament, according to Al Jazeera. Sidi, an engineer born in the Sahrawi refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, also noted the bill was meant to correct a historic injustice.

Next Steps and Timeline

The law will now have to be approved by the Senate before receiving final approval, according to Euronews. Once it is officially published, beneficiaries will have three years to apply for nationality. Amendments are expected in the Senate before the bill returns to the lower house for final approval, according to Al Jazeera. The bill was filed by Sumar, the junior left-wing partner in Spain’s coalition government, with the ruling Socialist Party also supporting it.