Spain grants citizenship to a migrant girl for the first time

Migrants from Morocco walk along the coast of Spain – Photo: AP

Spanish judicial officials say a court in the northern province of Guipuzcoa granted Spanish citizenship to a baby girl born in May 2018 on a boat carrying people. migrate towards the Spanish coast.

The girl’s mother is Cameroonian. After coming to Spain and living in the city of San Sebastián, the mother tried to register with the Embassy of Cameroon to issue a passport for her daughter, but was refused because she did not have a birth certificate in Morocco, the point of departure. mother and child, or have to return to Cameroon.

Due to the lack of official documents, the girl is not entitled to health care benefits.

The court’s ruling stated that the decision was made in the best interests of the girl because that is a constitutionally legitimate goal. The fact that she has no nationality will make her face unequal status compared to other children, not enjoying basic rights such as education and health care.

According to Spanish law, a person who wants to obtain Spanish citizenship must have Spanish parents, have lived in the country for 10 years or more, or be married to a local.

Statistics from Spain’s Interior Ministry show that last year, more than 40,000 migrants arrived in Spain by sea, mainly from Morocco.