Thanks to the Nietos law, more than 20 thousand Cubans are already Spanish citizens

Already 22,479 Cubans have become Spanish citizens under the eighth additional provision of the Law of Democratic Memory.

Through this law and compiled records of grandchildren, Cuba is the second country to benefit most from the legislative change.

Official data published by Spain’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation (MAEC) shows that Argentina is the leader in this regard. The population of the South American country is currently four times that of the island.

Right now Gaucho Land is the leader in favorable concessions for Spanish nationality with a total of 33,796 new files. Mexico is in the top 3, with 13,149 people already processed and approved.

Cubans, leader in rejections

Those born on the island have a negative record regarding grandchildren’s law. They lead the list of nationality files rejected due to non-compliance with certain rules.

For example, of the 913 nationality denials under the Grandchildren Law during the first year, approximately one third were Cubans. In total, the files of 301 Cubans have been rejected, or 32.97%.

The problems associated with the lengthy process of Spanish nationality in Cuba are increasing day by day. Because The Council of Spanish Residents in Cuba spoke on the subject.

“There have been problems relating to the lack of premises used by the Consulate for LMDs and this has affected the consular resources that can be devoted to this function. The problems came, in part, from accessing information from the Consulate and manually introducing information into the database, which could not be done correctly. David Casarejos, chair of the CGCEE’s Civil Rights and Participation Commission, explained it this way.

As it is known, the Grandchildren Law is valid for two years, which will officially expire in October 2024. However, an extension of one year should be given. The Spanish Consulate in Havana is taking measures to speed up the reception of files.

In this month of February, more human and material resources have been allocated to solve delays and be able to give more appointments. Therefore, four new offices will be opened in Havana.