Spain’s parliament backed a law on Thursday granting citizenship to tens of thousands of Western Saharans who were born when Spain ran the disputed territory, which is now largely controlled by Morocco.

The text grants Spanish nationality to Sahrawis born before 29 September 1977 and to their children through a certificate of naturalisation, considering that date the effective end of decolonisation. This also applies to those who do not legally reside in Spain.

Although the exact number of beneficiaries is unknown, around 80,000 Sahrawis are believed to be eligible, with some estimates reaching almost 200,000 including the descendants.

The law…

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