Morocco raises the tone against Spain and threatens with "recurring tensions" over Ceuta and Sahrawi nationality.

The bill on Spanish nationality for Sahrawi people born in Western Sahara under Spanish administration is being processed in the Congress of Deputies in the 15th Legislature under the parliamentary identifier 122/000072. As of today (09/10/2026), the initiative is still active and under processing, it has already been approved in the Justice Committee and is pending final vote in the Plenary of the Congress before moving to the Senate.

1. Identification and variants of the initiative

In this legislature, there have been two bills with the same purpose:

• 122/000023 – “Bill on granting Spanish nationality to Sahrawi men and women born under Spanish administration. Presented by the Plurinational Parliamentary Group SUMAR.” It was the first registered version and is concluded by withdrawal.
• 122/000072 – “Bill on granting Spanish nationality to Sahrawi men and women born under Spanish administration.” It is the version currently under processing, also promoted by the plurinational/SUMAR space, and it is the one that currently marks the status of the file.

When today one refers to the “bill on nationality for Sahrawis born under Spanish administration,” the operative reference is 122/000072.

2. Itinerary of the withdrawn version (122/000023)

The bill with identifier 122/000023 was published in the Congress Bulletin on 12/11/2023. It was admitted for processing on 02/17/2024, pending consideration by the Plenary. However, before that debate took place, on 03/15/2024 the proposing group withdrew it, so the file was concluded without being voted on or entering the amendment and committee phases.

This withdrawal explains why there is a second bill with very similar content (122/000072), presented shortly after, which has been advancing in processing.

3. Processing of the current bill (122/000072)

The bill currently under processing, with identifier 122/000072, is processed entirely in the Congress of Deputies, in the Justice Committee, and has followed, briefly, these milestones:

• Publication of the initiative: on 03/22/2024 the initial text was published in the Congress Bulletin.
• Admission for processing: on 05/03/2024 the initiative was admitted and was pending consideration by the Plenary.
• Consideration by the Plenary: on 02/25/2025 the Plenary debated and voted on the consideration of the bill. The vote was:
  • Yes: 195
  • No: 116
  • Abstentions: 33
  With this result, the Chamber agreed to continue processing the bill.
• Amendment period: from March 2025 the period to submit amendments opened, which was extended several times (seven extensions) until its definitive closure on 06/04/2025. On 06/12/2025 the amendments to the articles were published.
• Referral to the Plenary: on 12/11/2025 the Plenary unanimously approved (347 votes in favor, 0 against, 0 abstentions) the request that the final deliberation and vote on the text not remain in the Committee but be reserved for the Congress Plenary. The confirmation of this referral was published on 12/18/2025.
• Urgency processing and report: on 07/17/2026 it was agreed to process the bill by urgent procedure and the report of the working group was published, which integrates the agreed amendments.
• Justice Committee: on 07/23/2026 the debate was held in the Justice Committee and, subsequently, on 08/07/2026 the committee report was published, which is the text submitted to the Plenary.

4. Current phase and next steps

With the Justice Committee report published on August 7, the bill 122/000072 is, according to parliamentary records, at the phase where it already has a report and the Chamber has decided that the final vote corresponds to the Congress Plenary. That is:

• The bill has not lapsed: it remains under processing.
• It has passed consideration, the amendment period, the working group, and the committee report.
• It is pending inclusion in the Plenary agenda for the overall text vote.
• Once approved by the Congress Plenary, it must be sent to the Senate, where processing will continue (amendments, possible veto, and, if applicable, return to the Congress).

Therefore, as of today, the processing status is that of a bill advanced in the Congress, with a report already issued by the Justice Committee and ready for its final vote in Plenary, before starting the Senate phase.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates is the department of the Moroccan Government responsible for the country's international projection, its relationship with Africa, and the management of its diaspora. According to information available in official notes and recent diplomatic coverage, the current head of this ministry is Nasser (or Naser) Bourita/Burita, who serves as Morocco's Minister of Foreign Affairs and is the main person responsible for the kingdom's diplomacy.

Who currently leads the ministry

Various diplomatic and political sources covering the bilateral relationship between Spain and Morocco identify Nasser Burita (also transcribed as Nasser Bourita or Naser Burita) as the Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates of the Kingdom of Morocco.

In these reports, he is systematically presented as the Moroccan counterpart to the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, responsible for:

• Representing Morocco in bilateral relations with other States (for example, Spain, African countries, European partners, the United States, Canada, etc.).
• Participating in multilateral meetings (United Nations, Arab League, ministerial conferences on peace, regional security, or economic cooperation).
• Acting as head of Moroccan diplomacy on sensitive issues such as Western Sahara, regional security, migration cooperation, or crises in the Middle East.

Through statements and official meetings, he is attributed the role of Morocco's main interlocutor in:

• Discussions on Western Sahara and defending the Moroccan autonomy plan in international forums.
• Coordinating cooperation agreements with third countries, including memoranda of understanding and strategic dialogues.
• Morocco's participation in international initiatives, for example in peacekeeping or stabilization forces in conflict regions.

General competencies of the Ministry

Although the consulted sources focus mainly on recent diplomatic activity and do not reproduce an exhaustive list of legal competencies, from the department's name and its practice, its main areas of action can be outlined:

• Foreign policy and diplomatic representation: directs the foreign policy of the Kingdom of Morocco, coordinates embassies and consulates, and represents the country before other States and international organizations, both bilaterally and multilaterally.
• African cooperation: promotes and articulates Morocco's strategy towards Africa, fostering political, economic, security, and development cooperation agreements with African countries and regional organizations. This African axis is one of the central elements of Moroccan foreign action.
• Management of Moroccans residing abroad: the ministry's very title includes reference to Moroccan Expatriates, indicating it also has competencies over:
  • Institutional relations with the Moroccan diaspora.
  • Consular protection of Moroccan citizens abroad.
  • Policies to maintain economic, cultural, and social ties between the diaspora and Morocco.
• Regional security, conflicts, and international organizations: intervenes in Morocco's official positions on regional crises (for example, in the Sahel, Middle East, or Western Sahara), negotiating resolutions, peace mission mandates, and diplomatic support for Moroccan initiatives.
• Economic and foreign trade cooperation: participates in negotiating agreements affecting trade, investment, and economic cooperation with other countries and regional blocs, strengthening Morocco's role as a strategic partner in its environment.

Overall, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates is the key piece of Moroccan foreign action. Under the leadership of Nasser Burita, it concentrates the management of diplomatic relations, Morocco's projection in Africa, and the interlocution with the broad Moroccan community spread across Europe, America, and other regions, thus articulating both the political and human dimensions of the kingdom's foreign policy.

The letter of naturalization is an extraordinary way to acquire Spanish nationality that applies, in principle, to any foreigner, including a Sahrawi person. Current legislation does not recognize a specific regime nor an automatic right for Sahrawi people: the general regime applies, case by case.

Legal basis of the letter of naturalization

The regime is mainly regulated in the Civil Code:

• Article 21 CC: establishes that Spanish nationality is acquired by letter of naturalization “granted discretionally by Royal Decree, when exceptional circumstances concur in the interested party.”
• The same article indicates that the application can be made by the interested party (emancipated or over 18 years old), the person over 14 assisted by their legal representative, the legal representative of the minor under 14, or the interested party with disability with the necessary supports.
• Paragraph 4 of art. 21 provides that the concession expires after 180 days from its notification if within that period the interested party does not appear to fulfill the requirements of art. 23.
• Article 23 CC sets the common requirements for the validity of nationality acquisition by option, letter of naturalization, or residence:
  • Swear or promise fidelity to the King and obedience to the Constitution and laws (if the applicant is at least 14 years old and capable of declaring).
  • Renounce previous nationality, except for nationals of Ibero-American countries, Andorra, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Portugal, and Sephardic Jews originally from Spain.
  • That the acquisition be registered in the Spanish Civil Registry.

Content of the application and assessment of “exceptional circumstances”

The former Civil Registry Regulation (Decree of November 14, 1958), still partially applicable, specifies what the letter of naturalization application must contain. Among other aspects, it must state and prove:

• Identity, place and date of birth, and current and previous nationality of the applicant and their parents.
• Marital status, data of spouse and children under parental authority.
• If the applicant is prosecuted or has a criminal record and their situation regarding military service in their country.
• Residence in Spain, indicating dates and places, and the exceptional circumstances that justify the request.
• The degree of integration into Spanish society: knowledge of Spanish or another Spanish language, studies, social and cultural activities, etc.
• If the applicant proposes to reside permanently in Spain and with what means of livelihood.

Although the Civil Code does not require a minimum prior residence for the letter of naturalization, in practice actual residence in Spain, integration, and absence of serious records are key elements in assessing those “exceptional circumstances.”

Specific route for a Sahrawi person

In the general regulations examined (Civil Code, Civil Registry Regulation, instructions and application models) there is no specific regime of nationality by letter of naturalization for Sahrawi people or from Western Sahara, nor a specific reduced period comparable to that provided for Ibero-Americans or Sephardic Jews.

This means that, for a Sahrawi person, the formal legal requirements are the same as for any other foreigner:

• Be a foreign person (not Spanish) and identify oneself with documentation.
• Submit a letter of naturalization application to the Ministry of Justice, using the standardized form approved by the Resolution of July 28, 2023 (published in the BOE), and attaching the required documentation.
• Provide evidence of:
  • Identity, marital status, and, if applicable, family unit.
  • Residence and roots in Spain (registrations, work contracts, children’s schooling, etc.).
  • Integration (language, studies, social life).
  • The exceptional circumstances justifying the concession (for example, possible statelessness, special historical relationship with Spain, outstanding professional or social trajectory, etc.).
• Pass the controls and reports, especially from the Ministry of the Interior, regarding conduct and situation in Spain.
• If granted, within 180 days:
  • Swear or promise fidelity to the King and obedience to the Constitution and laws.
  • Renounce, if applicable, previous nationality (except if from exempt countries).
  • Register the acquisition in the Civil Registry.

Discretionary nature

The decisive element is that art. 21 CC configures the letter of naturalization as a discretionary power of the Government: even if formal requirements are met and exceptional circumstances are alleged, there is no subjective right to the concession. Consequently, the mere fact of being Sahrawi does not guarantee by itself obtaining nationality through this route, although it can be a relevant factor within the set of circumstances the Government evaluates in each specific case.