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SPANISH CITIZENSHIP

Descendants of International Brigades to get fast-track Spanish nationality

Spain will give the descendants of International Brigade fighters who fought fascism during the Civil War an expressway to Spanish citizenship and dual nationality, with people from the UK, the US and many other countries eligible.

Published: 1 December 2022 15:28 CET
spanish citizenship descendants international brigades spain
Photo of Yugoslav volunteers in Spain during the Spanish Civil War. Spain's Democratic Law extends the citizenship offer to descendants of International Brigade fighters, who can now get Spanish nationality without losing theirs. Photo: Wikipedia/Public Domain

Descendants

The children and grandchildren of fighters who fought for the International Brigades during Spain’s Civil War will be able to acquire Spanish citizenship – and won’t have to give up their other nationality in order to do so.

The fighters themselves have been able to apply for Spanish citizenship since 1996, though they were required to drop their other nationality. Spain’s 2007 Historical Memory Law removed that requirement, though the offer of citizenship was not extended to their descendants.

There was confusion in 2020 when Spain’s then deputy Prime Minister Pablo Iglesias tweeted that descendants of International Brigade fighters would be included in legislation, but when the final legal text appeared, it confirmed that the proposal did not stretch to descendants and only included the International Brigade veterans themselves. 

Now Spain’s new Democratic Memory Law, which passed the Spanish Senate on October 5th and officially became law on October 21st, finally extends the citizenship offer to descendants who can get Spanish nationality without losing theirs.

They will even be able to do it through the fast-tracked naturalisation process – seen as the expressway to Spanish citizenship and used by public figures such as Barcelona footballer Ansu Fati and actress Imperio Argentina.

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According to the Asociación de Amigos de las Brigadas Internacionales (AABI), a group involved with drafts of the legislation, there are at least one hundred known descendants that have been identified so far. They come from around the world, including France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Cuba, the former Yugoslavia, Argentina, Canada, Australia, and the United States.

As there are so few descendants of international brigade fighters, however, many view their inclusion in the citizenship legislation as a symbolic gesture that is part of the Democratic Memory Law’s efforts to settle historical debts with the past.

Though the legislation does extend citizenship, it’s not thought that a flood of applications will follow. “There will be no avalanche, it is a symbolic measure that has a purely sentimental importance for the relatives of the fighters,” the AABI explained to Spanish news website Newtral.es.

Participants wave republican flags during a 2015 march called by the Friends of International Brigades Association to commemorate the involvement of the International Brigades in the Battle of Jarama during the Spanish Civil War. (Photo by CURTO DE LA TORRE / AFP)

The International Brigades

Between 1936 and 1939 at least 35,000 international volunteers from around 50 countries, including around 2,500 Brits, fought against Francisco Franco’s fascist troops in the International Brigade during the Civil War. An estimated 10,000 foreign volunteers died in Spain, according to the Spanish Civil War Museum. 

The British novelist George Orwell, who fought with a Communist regiment of the Republican army during the war, described in gory detail the sacrifices of the International Brigades in his seminal work ‘Homage to Catalonia’.

READ ALSO: Remembering the Battle of Jarama and the role of the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War

citizenship international brigades spain

Anti-fascist demonstration in London reported on the front page of Catalan newspaper La Vanguardia on September 11, 1936. Photo: Dorieus/ Wikipedia (CC BY SA 4.0)

What is Spain’s Democratic Memory Law?

The citizenship offer is part of the broader Democratic Memory Law that aims to “settle Spanish democracy’s debt to its past” and deal with the legacy of its Civil War and Franco’s dictatorship.

READ ALSO: Spain’s new ‘grandchildren’ citizenship law: What you need to know

In recent weeks, the Spanish government confirmed that as many as 700,000 foreigners with Spanish lineage are eligible Spanish citizenship without having ever lived in the country, including those with ancestors who fled Spain for fear of persecution during Franco’s dictatorship.

Between the end of the Civil War in 1939, and 1978, when Spain’s new constitution was approved as part of its transition to democracy, an estimated 2 million Spaniards fled the Franco regime.

Controversy

Legislation concerning Spain’s dictatorial past is always controversial, and this law was no different – it passed the Spanish Senate earlier in October with 128 votes in favour, 113 against, and 18 abstentions.

The Spanish right have long been opposed to any kind of historical memory legislation, claiming that it digs up old rivalries and causes political tension. Spain’s centre-right party, the PP, have promised to overturn the law if it wins the next general election.

READ ALSO: Spain’s lawmakers pass bill honouring Franco-era victims

Other aspects of the law include the establishment of a DNA register to help families identify the remains of the tens of thousands of Spaniards were buried in unmarked graves; the repurposing of the Valley of the Fallen mausoleum, where Francisco Franco was buried until his exhumation in 2019; and a ban on groups that glorify the Franco regime.

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For members

SPAIN AND THE US

How to quickly get a US passport for a child born in Spain 

What are the steps to apply for a baby's US passport from Spain? How long does it take? Here’s all the experience-based information and tips American parents in Spain should know before beginning the process.

Published: 17 April 2024 16:46 CEST
How to quickly get a US passport for a child born in Spain 

You’ve left the United States and moved to Spain. Now, you’ve added a baby to this fabulous new life. You’ll want to secure their U.S. citizenship and passport straight away.

If one parent is Spanish, your child is entitled to Spanish citizenship. If your child doesn’t qualify for citizenship by birth, they’ll need an American passport to declare their nationality before being registered in Spain.

This article lays out the qualifications for a U.S. passport and the steps to get one. Fortunately, the process is fairly simple, according to people who have done it.

Does your baby qualify for a U.S. passport?
 
Your newborn qualifies for U.S. citizenship and a U.S. passport under the following conditions.
 
– They were born within wedlock to two U.S. citizen parents.
– They were born within wedlock and one of the parents is a U.S. citizen, and lived at least five years in the Unites States, two of which were ager after 14 or
– They were born out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen mother and non-citizen father.
– They were born out of wedlock to a U.S. citizen father and non-citizen mother.
 
When the parent who is a U.S. citizen is the father and the baby is born out of wedlock, there are a few additional steps required.

You’ll need to prove the blood relationship between your child and their father, attain a sworn statement from the father agreeing to give financial support until they are 18 years old and supply a written statement acknowledging paternity.

If your child does qualify for American citizenship, the next steps are pretty straightforward, although completing the required forms can be time-consuming.

What are the first steps when applying for a child’s U.S. passport from Spain?

The first step is applying for a Consular Report of Birth abroad (CRBA), which documents that your child is a U.S. citizen at birth. Any of the U.S. Consular Agencies in Spain can accept applications for Consular Reports of Birth Abroad (CRBA) and U.S. passports.

To begin, you’ll apply online. But remember, you’ll need original copies of any documents you upload; you’ll bring these to your in-person appointment at the consulate.
 
Documents you’ll need include:
 
·      Your child’s Spanish birth certificate.
·      Your marriage certificate, if married.
·      Divorce certificate, if divorced.
·      Evidence of U.S. parent’s citizenship, valid identification, and proof of physical presence in the United States.
·      Valid identification for non-U.S. citizen parent 
 
 “You will need proof of having been a long-term US resident in the past so think about what you can show (school transcripts, tax returns, etc.)” says Liz who moved from Scottsville Arizona to Málaga. Many Americans said this was the most time-intensive part.
 
Once you’ve completed and submitted your CRBA, you’re ready to make an appointment at a U.S. Consulate. The best way to make the appointment is by contacting the consulate directly, but make sure to wait for three days after submitting and paying for your CRBA. The fee is $100.00.

Remember, you must bring the original versions of every document you uploaded for your CRBA application, and your child must be present. Generally, both parents must also be present.

You can apply for your child’s passport at the same appointment. Be sure to complete the U.S. passport application prior to your appointment (including payment of a $135 fee) and bring the originals of all documents you uploaded for your passport application. Both parents must sign the application.
 
You’ll need to bring original copies and photocopies of the following documents:
 
·      One 2”x2” (5x5cm) passport picture for your child.
·      A document listing the legal guardians of your child.
·      Identification for both parents.
·      A physical copy of the completed passport application form (DS-11).
 

Important considerations:
 
For the CRBA, the U.S. parent(s) must report their physical presence in the United States, detailing each trip abroad. In other words, it’s crucial you don’t include time abroad in your list of days staying within the United States. If the dates are incorrect, the processing could be suspended until you correct the dates.

“The hardest part for us was to list every country we had ever visited, when and why.  Other than that, pretty easy. We did through the consulate in Valencia. Good luck,” says Sara, who moved from Boston, Massachusetts to Valencia.
 
It’s very important for both listed parents to attend the appointment. If only one parent can attend, you’ll need to submit a Statement of Consent. If you have sole legal custody of your child, you’ll need to bring proof, such as a court order.
 
Bring your child’s passport photo in a separate envelope (to not use it) but don’t staple it to the passport application.

How long does it take?
 
Generally, it takes approximately eight weeks to receive your child’s passport, which will be mailed to you. Be prepared to receive multiple mailings; your passport and citizenship papers will come separately. If you’ve requested both a passport book and a passport card, you’ll get 3 different mailings. If you’d like, you can pay for faster shipping.
 
If you have questions, don’t be shy about contacting your consulate. “It’s a simple process. Visit the US embassy website for any information you need. You can call or email any questions you have,” says Sarah, who moved from San Francisco to Barcelona.

Congratulations on your multinational family!

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