The Spanish Parliament has taken a significant step toward addressing the status of people from Western Sahara, a former Spanish territory. The lower house recently voted in favor of a bill that provides a pathway to citizenship for Sahrawis who were born in the region prior to 1977, the year Spain officially withdrew from the territory. This legislative move is intended to rectify the status of those who were residents when the region was under Spanish administration.

The bill is now headed to the Spanish Senate for debate and a final vote. If passed, the law would grant tens of thousands of individuals the right to apply for Spanish nationality. Proponents of the measure argue that it serves as a long-overdue recognition of the historical ties between Spain and the Sahrawi people. While the legislative process is ongoing, the approval in the lower house marks a notable shift in how the Spanish government is handling the legacy of its colonial past in North Africa. There is currently no public record of significant opposition or specific amendments being proposed by major political parties in the lower house, though the Senate phase is expected to involve further scrutiny of the bill's potential impact on immigration and nationality laws.