Spain’s Political Crisis Puts Proposed Citizenship for Sahrawis on Hold

Spain’s political turmoil has cast uncertainty over a controversial legislative proposal that would grant Spanish nationality to eligible Sahrawis born before 1977, delaying a measure that has become entangled in wider debates over migration, national identity and Madrid’s position on the Moroccan Sahara issue.

The initiative, introduced in 2023 by Tesh Sidi, a Sahrawi-born member of the left-wing Sumar coalition, secured approval in the Congress of Deputies but remains pending in the Senate. The dissolution of Parliament ahead of early elections has complicated its path toward final adoption, leaving the proposal exposed to the uncertainties of Spain’s electoral calendar.

For Sumar, the challenge is to keep the citizenship initiative on the political agenda while the country’s major parties focus on domestic priorities. For the Spanish government, the question carries implications that extend beyond nationality law, touching on relations with Morocco and Algeria and the diplomatic sensitivities surrounding the Moroccan Sahara issue.

Parliamentary Deadlock Complicates the Citizenship Proposal

The proposal seeks to establish a route to Spanish nationality for Sahrawis born before 1977, a measure that its supporters have championed as a response to historical circumstances affecting the population concerned.

However, approval by the lower house was not sufficient to bring the legislation into force. With the text still awaiting further parliamentary consideration, the dissolution of the legislature has introduced a major procedural obstacle.

Sumar is reportedly pressing for alternative ways to advance the measure, including the possibility of a decree and consideration by the Permanent Deputation of the Congress of Deputies. Whether such a route would be legally available for this specific initiative remains a central question, given the legislative procedures involved and the scope of the proposed measure.

The uncertainty illustrates how an initiative supported by part of the governing political spectrum can become vulnerable when institutional priorities shift and an election campaign takes precedence.

Housing Crisis Takes Centre Stage in Spain

The citizenship debate is unfolding against a domestic political backdrop dominated by housing affordability, tenant protection and growing public concern about speculative investment in residential property.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez and his Socialist Workers’ Party (PSOE) have sought to position housing as a major electoral issue. The controversy surrounding the eviction of María del Carmen Abascal, an 87-year-old tenant who occupied her rental home for many years before her death, has further highlighted the social and political sensitivity of the issue.

According to the account surrounding the proposed measures, the government has pursued two housing-related decrees that still require parliamentary scrutiny. The Permanent Deputation can exercise certain functions while Parliament is dissolved, but the treatment of individual measures depends on the applicable constitutional and parliamentary rules.

The opposition, including the conservative People's Party (PP) and the far-right Vox party, has opposed the government’s housing proposals. Junts has also been identified as an opponent in the account of the parliamentary dispute, although its political classification differs from that of the far left.

The PSOE hopes that the confrontation over housing policy will strengthen its electoral position. In this context, the Sahrawi nationality proposal faces competition from an issue with more immediate consequences for millions of Spanish residents.

Sumar Seeks to Keep Sahrawi Nationality on the Agenda

Despite the pressure created by the election timetable, Sumar continues to advocate for the citizenship initiative.

Tesh Sidi, who presented the proposal in 2023, has become one of its principal political advocates. The coalition is seeking a procedural route that would allow the measure to progress despite the dissolution of the ordinary parliamentary chambers.

Yet the proposal raises practical questions that could complicate its implementation. Authorities would need to determine the precise eligibility criteria, establish reliable procedures for identifying applicants and assess the administrative implications of processing potentially large numbers of cases.

The geographical distribution of the people concerned, including individuals living outside Spain, would add another layer of complexity. Any final arrangement would require clear legal provisions governing documentation, applications and the rights attached to nationality.

These considerations make the proposal more complicated than a straightforward parliamentary declaration of support.

Morocco, Algeria and the Moroccan Sahara Issue

The initiative also intersects with Spain’s diplomatic relations in North Africa, particularly its ties with Morocco and Algeria.

Madrid has supported Morocco’s autonomy initiative for the Moroccan Sahara, presented to the United Nations in 2007. That position has become an important element of Spanish-Moroccan relations, while the dispute continues to be addressed through the UN political process.

Algeria and the Polisario Front maintain a different position on the territory. Against this background, the possibility of extending Spanish nationality to a significant number of Sahrawis has prompted debate about the potential political and diplomatic consequences.

Critics of the initiative argue that nationality could create new channels for political representation and mobilization within Spain, with possible implications for debates over the Moroccan Sahara issue. However, claims that naturalisation would automatically serve the interests of Algeria or the Polisario Front remain political assessments rather than established consequences of the proposal.

The distinction is important: acquiring Spanish nationality does not, by itself, determine an individual's political allegiance or establish the existence of foreign influence.

A Politically Sensitive Question Beyond the Election

The proposal’s future will depend on Spain’s parliamentary timetable, the legal options available after the dissolution of Parliament and the political balance emerging from the early elections scheduled for November 29, as stated in the source account.

Even if supporters manage to restore the initiative to the legislative agenda, questions concerning eligibility, administrative capacity and the measure’s broader political implications are likely to remain contentious.

For Sánchez’s government and its Sumar partners, the challenge is to manage competing domestic and foreign-policy priorities without allowing internal disagreements to undermine the governing coalition.

For Morocco and Algeria, developments in Madrid will remain relevant to their respective diplomatic positions on the Moroccan Sahara issue. Nevertheless, the citizenship proposal’s immediate fate is primarily determined by Spain’s domestic constitutional and parliamentary framework.

The episode highlights the extent to which nationality policy can become intertwined with electoral competition and regional diplomacy. Until a clear legal and parliamentary route emerges, the proposed naturalisation of eligible Sahrawis remains an unresolved issue in Spain’s political debate.