Spanish Court Denies Citizenship to Moroccan Woman, Citing Poor Language Skills and Integration

The Moroccan woman, who was married to a Spaniard, had already been dismissed at first instance "because her integration into Spanish society was not sufficiently proven". The civil registrar had found, during the interview, "that she spoke little Spanish and expressed herself with difficulty," specifying that "it was with great effort that information about her family and her length of residence in Spain could be obtained".

For the judge, "case law attaches great importance to personal interviews, as the acquisition of Spanish nationality requires a higher level of integration into society than that required of resident foreigners..." According to him, "it is difficult to swear or promise obedience to the Constitution without knowing the values and principles of the society of which one intends to be a national".