Vox Party Seeks Review of Spanish Citizenship for 300,000 Moroccans

Spain's far-right Vox party is seeking a review of over 300,000 Spanish citizenship grants to people of Moroccan origin, claiming that their naturalizations may have been fraudulent. The party argues that these individuals did not effectively give up their Moroccan nationality, despite Spain and Morocco not having a dual nationality agreement. This proposal is part of Vox's electoral program ahead of Spain's November 29 elections.

According to Spanish newspaper El País, more than 300,000 people of Moroccan origin acquired Spanish nationality over the past 10 years, with an annual average exceeding 30,000. Vox leader Santiago Abascal raised the issue on November 4 during an interview with Spanish radio station Onda Cero, arguing that Spanish authorities granted citizenship without ensuring that applicants had given up their Moroccan nationality.

However, the legal situation is more complex than Vox suggests. Under Article 23 of Spain's Civil Code, applicants must declare that they renounce their previous nationality when acquiring Spanish citizenship. The law does not require them to provide an official document proving that their previous nationality has effectively been cancelled. Moroccan law allows citizens to renounce their nationality, but the process requires authorization through an official decree.

This means that someone can be recognized as Spanish by Spanish authorities while still retaining Moroccan nationality under Moroccan law. The Spanish government reportedly confirmed in October 2025, in response to a parliamentary question from Vox, that there was no legal basis for requiring applicants to provide proof that they had lost their previous nationality.

The issue is not unique to Morocco, as Spanish citizens can retain British or American nationality despite Spain not having dual nationality agreements with either country. Moreover, Article 18 of Spain's Civil Code establishes that people who have continuously possessed and used Spanish nationality in good faith for 10 years, based on a Civil Registry record, consolidate their citizenship even if the original title is later annulled.

Vox's focus on Morocco and people of Moroccan origin in Spain is part of a larger anti-immigration agenda. The party has proposed taxing money transfers that immigrants send to their families abroad, alongside tougher citizenship requirements and restrictions on immigration. Vox has also targeted Morocco's agricultural exports to the European market, calling for the suspension of the EU-Morocco Association Agreement.

In September 2026, Vox called for the suspension of the EU-Morocco Association Agreement, arguing that Moroccan tomato imports were harming Spanish farmers. Earlier in November, the party pushed for an expedited debate at the European Parliament over what it described as unfair competition from Moroccan olive oil. The party's proposals have placed Morocco and people of Moroccan origin at the center of its political discourse.

Key points

• Vox party seeks review of 300,000 Spanish citizenship grants to people of Moroccan origin.
• The party claims that naturalizations may have been fraudulent due to applicants not giving up their Moroccan nationality.
• The issue is part of Vox's larger anti-immigration agenda targeting Morocco and people of Moroccan origin in Spain.