In a vote weighted with colonial memory and geopolitical consequence, Spain's lower house moved Thursday to restore citizenship to tens of thousands of Sahrawis born under Spanish rule before 1977—a gesture of historical reckoning that arrives at precisely the moment when Madrid and Rabat can least afford new friction. The bill, which passed 168 to 31 with 145 abstentions, must still clear the senate before it becomes law. At stake is not only the legal identity of up to 100,000 people and their descendants, but the fragile architecture of a relationship between two neighbors upon whom Europe
Spain's Lower House Backs Citizenship for Sahrawis, Testing Morocco Ties
Scores of migrants died attempting to reach Ceuta in July; thousands remain in dire conditions including unaccompanied minors.