The Justice Commission of Congress meets this Thursday with the intention of advancing the report of the bill that recognizes Spanish nationality for people born in Western Sahara when it was under Spanish administration, as well as for their descendants. However, the final approval from the Plenary is not expected until the next session period, which will begin in September.
The condition of Sahrawi born in that context can be justified through a Spanish ID (even if it is expired), a receipt of registration in the census for the Western Sahara Referendum issued by the UN, a birth certificate, a family book, a schooling certificate, retirement pensions, or hospitalization and medical assistance certificates, among other documents. The PSOE has rejected accepting documents issued by the Polisario Front as valid, as it is not officially recognized as an authority.
The request to obtain nationality will not carry any type of fee and must be submitted within three years from the entry into force of the regulation, which will occur six months after its publication in the Official State Bulletin.
MORE THAN A YEAR IN THE PARLIAMENTARY "FREEZER"
The bill remained paralyzed for more than a year in the "freezer" of Congress, and Sumar had been trying to reactivate it since April, proposing to the progressive groups, including the PSOE, a proposal for transactional amendments that integrated the different suggestions.
In June, the two formations that support the coalition government managed to bring positions closer and finally agreed on a series of modifications to the initial text, which were endorsed on June 30 by the working group with the support of the left-wing partners, while Junts opted for abstention. The PP --which at first showed support for the initiative-- and Vox voted against, remaining in the minority.
Since July and August are non-working months in ordinary parliamentary activity, the Ministry of Justice asked the Congress Board to enable July to continue with the processing. Sumar intended for the committee debate to be held on July 14 and for the text to be raised to the Plenary this Thursday.
Nevertheless, the commission has finally set itself for that date, so the project will not be debated in the Plenary until the first ordinary session of September, unless an extraordinary Plenary is called before. In any case, after passing the Congress, the law must complete its journey in the Senate.