Sidi Ifni Residents Seek Spanish Citizenship, Language Education 55 Years After Handover

In a letter addressed to King Felipe VI on August 7 and accessed by EFE, these Moroccans from Sidi Ifni, a province located 900 kilometers south of Rabat and which was part of the Spanish protectorate between 1934 and 1969, have requested Spanish nationality and the integration of Spanish teaching into the local education system.

The date of sending the letter coincides with the 55th anniversary of the handover of Sidi Ifni to the Moroccan authorities by the dictator and General Francisco Franco, the same source recalls. In its letter, the group called "Ifni 25 July" highlighted the historical and legal ties of Sidi Ifni with Spain, expressing to the king their difficulties in obtaining Spanish nationality, unlike the Sephardic Jews who have benefited from facilities for their naturalization in recent years.

The group also explained to Felipe VI that, unlike other regions of Morocco, the inhabitants of Sidi Ifni do not have the possibility of studying Spanish, even as an optional language. The group is calling for the intervention of the King of Spain to allow the inhabitants of Sidi Ifni to exercise their "civil and natural rights", recalling that they are part of the historical heritage of Spain.