Historic Citizenship Grants for Descendants of Spanish Exiles
In a significant move addressing historical exile, the Spanish government has so far granted 237,145 citizenships to descendants of Republican exiles under the provisions of the Democratic Memory Law. Ángel Víctor Torres, the minister responsible for the area, announced the figures this Friday during a visit to the Immigration Offices in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.
Application Success Rate and Beneficiaries
Minister Torres detailed that the approved applications represent 27% of the 876,321 total requests submitted to date. This initiative specifically benefits “the grandchildren and children of those who were forced to leave Spain for other countries, primarily in Latin America, during the years of the (Civil) War and the dictatorship,” he stated. The majority of these successful applications, he noted, have been processed from Argentina.
Understanding the Democratic Memory Law
The procedure was opened by the 2022 Democratic Memory Law. One of its additional provisions establishes that “Those born outside of Spain to a father or mother, grandfather or grandmother, who were originally Spanish, and who, as a consequence of having suffered exile for political, ideological, or belief reasons, or sexual orientation and identity, lost or renounced their Spanish nationality, may opt for Spanish nationality.” The law also covers other cases, such as descendants born abroad to Spanish women who lost their nationality by marrying foreigners before the 1978 Constitution came into effect.
Application Deadline and Processing
A two-year window was initially set to formalize applications from the law’s effective date. However, a one-year extension was granted, meaning the deadline is now October 24 of this year. Minister Torres confirmed that the Spanish consular offices in various countries are responsible for processing these applications.
Overwhelming Response from the Americas
The response has been immense. By the end of November 2024, a total of 351,266 applications had been received—a staggering increase of nearly 125,000 since the law took full effect in late 2023. Over 95% of these applications were submitted at Spanish consular offices in Ibero-America and the Consulate General of Spain in Miami, USA.
Argentina and Cuba Lead in Requests
The data reveals a particularly strong connection to certain nations. The five consulates in Argentina alone account for 40% of all applications. When combined with those processed in Havana, applications from Argentina and Cuba surpass 53% of the total, highlighting the profound historical impact of Spanish exile in these regions.
