More than 600 Cubans have applied for Spanish citizenship in Havana based on the so-called... Democratic Memory LawThe law, approved in October 2022 during Pedro Sánchez's first term, expanded the right to citizenship for descendants of Spaniards.
The total number of applications far exceeded the initial estimates of the General Council of Spanish Citizenship Abroad (Cgcee), which predicted around 350 requests. The new figures include both formal applications and appointment requests, which represent the majority.
According to updated data from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which the Cuban portal had access to 14ymediumCurrently, there are 350 citizens already registered as Spanish citizens in Cuba. Another 400 applications are still awaiting a summons for processing.
The president of the Cgcee, Violeta Alonso, stated that finalizing all the procedures could take "many years" due to the limited structure and chronic lack of personnel in consular representations.
The volume of requests is considered unprecedented and is expected to further increase the pressure on the Spanish consulate in Havana, which is already facing difficulties in meeting the demand.
The surge in applications grew in the weeks leading up to the official deadline, which was October 22nd. Previous estimates did not reflect this sudden increase and were based on outdated data.
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