The lower house of the Spanish parliament has approved a legislative bill granting citizenship to tens of thousands of individuals born in Western Sahara, a disputed territory administered by Spain until 1976 over which Morocco now claims sovereignty, according to reports from the Financial Times.
The text was adopted by a vote of 168 to 31, with 145 abstentions. A representative of the left-wing Sumar coalition, which championed the measure, told the Financial Times that people born in Western Sahara before 1977 and their descendants have remained in a situation of political and legal uncertainty for decades.
According to the Sumar political group, the initiative seeks to recognize a right that was stripped away during the decolonization process of the Sahara, which remains unfinished. The group estimates that approximately 80,000 people could qualify for citizenship, asserting that Spain carries a historic debt toward the Sahrawi people.
Diplomatic Friction and Morocco’s Response
If confirmed by the Senate, the legislation threatens to strain relations further between Madrid and Rabat. Diplomatic ties were already tested following the arrival of 70,000 migrants from Morocco into the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.
Samir Bennis, co-founder of the English-language news site Morocco World News, wrote on X that the bill would constitute a major affront to Morocco, potentially triggering a crisis and fueling Sahrawi separatism.
Western Sahara has been largely controlled by Morocco while remaining classified as a non-autonomous territory by the United Nations. A fifty-year conflict has pitted Rabat against the Polisario Front, an independence movement backed by Algeria. UN efforts to organize a self-determination referendum have stalled for decades, though Morocco has secured backing for its cause from numerous nations, including France. Madrid expressed support for the Moroccan autonomy plan in 2022 following a prior migration crisis in Ceuta.
Intelligence Reports and the Ceuta Migration Crisis
Amid ongoing diplomatic tensions, the Spanish government declassified intelligence and security reports to counter criticism regarding its handling of a late-July migrant surge in Ceuta. Analysts suggest the incident may have served as a message from Rabat following Pedro Sánchez’s visit to Algeria in July.
The intelligence center of the Spanish armed forces noted in the declassified documents that Moroccan authorities displayed passivity toward migrants despite receiving a warning from Spanish intelligence one day prior. The Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected those claims, stating there is no evidence establishing any state involvement in the clandestine migration flows. In an official statement, Rabat questioned why irregular migrants are not returned when the Moroccan government has formally committed to readmitting them.
The Moroccan foreign ministry has not yet issued an official response regarding the lower house’s vote on Sahrawi naturalization.
Human Rights and Regional Context
In parallel developments regarding the broader region, Moroccan authorities continue to target journalists, social media commentators, and activists who criticize the monarchy. Local authorities frequently utilize penal code provisions rather than the press code to imprison critics, while activists supporting Sahrawi self-determination in Western Sahara face ongoing harassment, disrupted gatherings, and restricted access for local human rights organizations.
The Spanish Senate is scheduled to review the naturalisation bill.
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