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Doha – Spain has naturalized more than 237,000 Moroccan nationals since 2018, a sharp uptick from previous years, according to data from the Spanish Ministry of Social Security and Migration.
As reported by EFE news agency, Moroccans continue to be among the top three immigrant groups contributing to Spain’s record population of 49,077,984 as of January 1.
According to the Spanish news outlet OkDiario, the naturalization process has maintained a steady pace during Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s nearly seven-year tenure.
This shows a dramatic increase compared to the previous administration of Mariano Rajoy, which naturalized approximately 130,000 Moroccans over a comparable period.
Citing the ministry’s figures, the Spanish outlet reports that 45,799 Moroccan nationals were granted Spanish citizenship in 2023 alone, marking a 5.4% rise from the previous year. However, Spain’s National Statistics Institute (INE) cites a higher figure of 54,027 naturalizations.
Of those granted citizenship, 53% were male, with the average age of recipients being 19 years.
Many of these young recipients were former unaccompanied foreign minors who became eligible for citizenship upon turning 18.
Current data from the ministry indicates there are 844,969 Moroccan residents in Spain, with an average age of 34 years.
However, the latest data by INE reports a higher figure of approximately 1,100,000 Moroccan residents, surpassing the population of entire provinces like Asturias, Vizcaya, or La Coruña.
According to EFE, Spain received 27,700 new Moroccan immigrants in the last quarter of 2024 alone, while 12,300 Moroccans left the country during the same period.
The news agency reports that of the nearly 9.4 million foreign-born individuals living in Spain, approximately 2.6 million have acquired Spanish nationality in recent years.
This Moroccan demographic was a key factor in the results of the 2023 elections, OkDiario indicates in the same report. It adds that the trend was particularly seen in Catalonia, where approximately 150,000 naturalized Moroccan voters resided.
According to the INE, Catalonia registered about 16,172 new Moroccan naturalizations in 2022, double the number recorded in Andalusia.
Recent data from INE also reveals that 2023 saw a record-breaking total of 240,208 foreigners receiving Spanish citizenship, representing a 32.3% increase from the previous year.
Moroccan nationals led this group, accounting for 22.5% of all naturalizations, followed by Venezuelans (12.6%) and Colombians (7.8%).
The path to Spanish citizenship typically requires meeting several criteria, including demonstrating good conduct, having no criminal record, proving integration into Spanish society, and passing tests administered by the Instituto Cervantes.
The standard waiting period for citizenship applications can extend up to three years, with residency requirements varying based on the applicant’s nationality and circumstances.
Looking ahead, the current Spanish coalition government, led by PSOE and Sumar, has proposed a significant regularization program that could affect around 700,000 undocumented immigrants who arrived in Spain before the end of 2023.
If approved, this initiative would mark the largest regularization effort in Spain’s history.
Spain has previously conducted six extraordinary regularization processes since 1985, under various administrations.
The most recent major regularizations included 525,000 permits under José María Aznar and 576,000 under José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero.
Last August, the Spanish government granted citizenship to two young Moroccan men, aged 21 and 23, who saved the life of a 74-year-old man from drowning in Lérida’s Serós Canal in 2023.
These individuals were among only three people who received Spanish citizenship for heroic acts between 1993 and 2024.
Over 218,000 citizenship applications are currently awaiting processing, reflecting the ongoing demand for Spanish nationality among foreign residents.
Read also: Moroccans Rank as Top Social Security Contributors In Spain
