Spain's Congress has passed a bill granting a special route to citizenship for Sahrawis born in Western Sahara (a disputed North African territory formerly colonised by Spain) before 1977, as well as their first-degree descendants, potentially covering between 70,000 and 110,000 people. The measure, which still requires Senate approval, is framed by supporters as redress for a historical injustice stemming from Spain's withdrawal from the territory in 1976, but has alarmed Morocco, which regards Western Sahara as part of its own sovereignty and fears the law will deepen ties between Madrid and communities linked to the separatist Polisario Front. Though the bill does not alter Western Sahara's disputed status or Spain's official backing for Morocco's autonomy plan, Rabat views it as complicating a bilateral relationship that had only recently been repaired after a major diplomatic crisis in 2022.