More than 20,000 Cubans have already become Spanish citizens thanks to the Netos Law

There are already 22,479 Cubans who have become Spanish citizens under Additional Section 8 of the Democratic Memory Law.

Through this descendants law and the combined records, Cuba is the second country to benefit most from the legislative change.

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

At the moment, the Land of the Gaucho leads the positive franchises with a total of 33,796 new files for Spanish citizenship. Mexico closed out the top three, with 13,149 people already processed and approved.

Cubans, leaders of rejection

Those born on the island boast a negative record regarding the Grandchildren Act. They are at the top of the list of rejected citizenship files for not adhering to some controls.

For example, of the 913 people whose citizenship was denied under the Descendants Act during the first year, approximately one-third were from Cuba. In total, 301 copies were eliminated, i.e. 32.97%.

The problems associated with the long process of obtaining Spanish citizenship in Cuba are becoming more frequent by the day. because? The Council of Spanish Residents in Cuba spoke about this issue.

“There were issues with a lack of buildings to be used by the consulate for LMD and this affected the consular resources that could be allocated to this task. The problems came partly from accessing information from the consulate and manually entering information into the database, which could not be done properly,” explained David. Casarejos, Chair of the CGCEE Civil Rights and Engagement Committee.

As is known, the Grandchildren Law is valid for two years, officially expiring in October 2024. However, a one-year extension must be granted. The Spanish Consulate in Havana is taking measures to expedite the receipt of files.

Only this February, more human and material resources are being allocated to resolve the delay and be able to grant more appointments. Hence, four new offices will be opened in Havana.