Spain's Sahrawi citizenship bill strains ties with Morocco

Madrid’s lower house approved a bill on Thursday that would allow Sahrawi refugees residing in Spain to acquire Spanish citizenship after five years of legal residence, a measure championed by the governing coalition as a humanitarian gesture. The legislation, which also streamlines the process for families of Sahrawi migrants, is expected to benefit an estimated 30,000 individuals who fled the disputed Western Sahara territory following the 1975 conflict and have lived in Spain for decades. The bill’s sponsors argue that the policy aligns with Spain’s commitments to human rights and the protection of stateless persons, and it has been endorsed by several opposition parties and human‑rights NGOs.

Morocco’s foreign ministry condemned the move, calling it a “serious breach of bilateral trust” and warning that it could strain Spain’s diplomatic and security cooperation with Rabat, including joint counter‑terrorism and migration initiatives. Rabat maintains that Western Sahara is an integral part of its sovereign territory and views any external recognition of Sahrawi status as interference in a core national issue. Spanish officials have expressed a desire to keep dialogue open, emphasizing that the citizenship bill does not alter Spain’s official position on the Western Sahara dispute. The episode underscores the delicate balance Madrid must strike between domestic humanitarian policy and its strategic partnership with Morocco, a key ally in the Mediterranean region.