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222 Nicaraguan political prisoners were offered Spanish citizenship after they were sent to the United States and stripped of their citizenship due to accusations of being in an opposition group – something Nicaraguan president Daniel Ortega has stated that he won’t allow.
A spokesman for the Spanish Foreign Ministry did not explain the details of the offer but mentioned the condition of anonymity due to local professional standards, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The move is an attempt to support democracy and human rights in the South American country, which has been dealing with political unrest, as the government wants to take down activists, protesters, and all opposition leaders. Due to these developments, many people have been detained or arrested for their political views, and different governments have denounced Nicaragua over the human rights abuses and lack of democratic institutions in the country.
From July 2018, more than 25,000 Nicaraguans have reached Spain, with the majority of this political, economic, and social crisis and the political persecution by the Ortega government. In addition, almost 6,000 of them have requested asylum, making Nicaragua the fourth country with the highest number of applications.
Furthermore, a census made in April by Asociacion Nicaragua reveals that of 3,000 Nicaraguan migrants, the majority of them worked in the healthcare sector, domestic servants, agriculture, construction, and cleaning.
Previously, Spain granted citizenship to thousands of descendants of Sephardic Jews who had been expelled from the country during Ferdinand’s rule in the sixteenth century and approved laws that permitted descendants to come and live in Spain or start living there lawfully.
During King Ferdinand and Queen Isabela in 1492, a quarter of the Spanish population (300,000 people) had to convert to Catholicism or leave the country in order to escape the Spanish Inquisition.
Israeli media points out that at least 90,000 descendants of Sephardic Jews have obtained Portuguese and Spanish citizenship since 2015, with Spain being the main country for applications, as 153,000 applications were filed there while Portugal received 86,000.
In addition, Spain has offered citizenship to 36,000 applicants, representing 23 per cent of the total applicants, while Portugal granted citizenship to 63 per cent of applicants accounting for about 54,000 people.
The process of obtaining Spanish citizenship can last years and involve certain requirements, such as residency in Spain and speaking the Spanish language. However, for those who are able to meet these criteria, Spanish citizenship can enable them with a new home and a chance to build better lives without fear of persecution.
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