Spain accepts less than 7% of applications for nationality by letter of naturalization

Eduardo González The government has granted nationality by letter of naturalization to a total of 213 people between 2020 and 2024, which represents less than seven percent of the applications submitted during the same period. The vast majority of those naturalized are the 146 Nicaraguans stripped of their citizenship by the Ortega-Murillo regime and naturalized by Spain between 2023 and 2024. According to a written parliamentary response to Bildu MP Jon Iñarritu, registered on March 19 and published last week in the Official Gazette of Congress, during that period a total of 3,066 applications for nationality by letter of naturalization were submitted, and 213 nationalities were granted, while "there are currently 2,853 applications pending resolution." Therefore, only 6.9 percent of the applications have been favorably resolved. The granting of nationality by letter of naturalization is an exceptional procedure and much faster than the usual channels, the power of which falls to the Council of Ministers at the request of the Minister of Justice. The beneficiaries of this right are individuals who, without meeting the legal residency requirements for obtaining nationality, receive it through the fast-track process due to their contribution to society, their ties to Spain, or special circumstances. Mexico leads the list of applicant countries, with 798 applications, of which only two were granted. It is followed by Venezuela (419 applications and only three grants), Colombia (295 applications and three grants), the United States (275 applications and four grants), Nicaragua (206 applications and no fewer than 146 grants), and Morocco (204 applications and four grants). During this period, the number of applicants has increased considerably (215 in 2020, 390 in 2021, 732 in 2022, 791 in 2023, and 938 in 2024), but the acceptance rate remains very low: 14, 11, and 17 in the first three years, and 110 and 61 in 2023 and 2024. Nicaragua These figures for the last two years are due to the extremely high number of concessions granted to Nicaraguans, with 146 out of 206 (68.5 percent favorable resolutions), considerably behind the second-highest beneficiary country, Argentina, with only seven (out of 87). All Nicaraguan nationalities by letter of naturalization were granted between 2023 (98) and 2024 (48), and all the beneficiaries are dissidents expelled and stripped of their citizenship by the regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo (husband and wife and co-presidents of Nicaragua). On February 9, 2023, the Managua government expelled 222 opponents (diplomats, former state officials, human rights defenders, Sandinista dissidents, opposition members, journalists, academics, students, businesspeople, and merchants) accused of treason from the country to the United States and stripped them of their nationality. After learning of the regime's decision, the Pedro Sánchez government offered to grant Spanish nationality to the "stateless" individuals. A week later, Daniel Ortega ordered the revocation of nationality and the seizure of assets from 94 other opponents for the same reasons, after which the Spanish government extended its offer to this second group. Likewise, on September 5, 2024, the Supreme Court of Justice ordered "the loss of Nicaraguan nationality" and the confiscation of all assets from 135 other political prisoners exiled to Guatemala for promoting "violence, hatred, terrorism, and economic destabilization, disrupting peace, security, and the constitutional order." Almost a month later, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares announced before the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Congress of Deputies that the granting of Spanish nationality would be extended to this new group. Since then, 146 Nicaraguans have been granted Spanish nationality by naturalization letter. These include diplomats, former state officials, human rights defenders, Sandinista dissidents, opposition members, journalists, academics, students, businesspeople, merchants, and prominent figures such as Cristiana Chamorro, a presidential candidate in the 2021 elections; journalist Carlos Fernando Chamorro Barrios, founder of the local newspaper Confidencial and son of former President Violeta Chamorro; sociologist Gertrudis Guerrero, wife of exiled Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez; and writer Gioconda Belli.

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