Spanish Enclaves See Surge in Moroccan Births, Sparking Citizenship Debate

In Ceuta, for example, the local government has just asked the state for a reform of the nationality code in order to tighten the conditions. It is thus proposed to extend the continuous residence period to 10 years to obtain Spanish citizenship, reports the local website El Faro de Ceuta, adding that the objective is not to grant automatic nationality to children born in the two autonomous cities.

To get the new law passed, the right-wing group (Grupo Popular) cites the migratory pressure, arguing that it is 25 times higher in Sebta and 50 times higher in Melilla. Furthermore, according to the political group, 30% of births in Sebta are to Moroccan women, and this figure reaches 60% in Melilla. "This movement of Moroccan women is largely due to an intervention by organizations that offer them the opportunity to give birth on this side of the border," writes the newspaper, citing the party.

According to the local daily, the local authorities have recently identified more than 2,000 apartments where pregnant Moroccan women are waiting.

It should be noted that since last year, the city of Sebta has strengthened the controls of ambulances transferring Moroccan women to the city to give birth.