A Spanish national court has refused citizenship to a Moroccan woman, citing the jihadi activities of some of her family members, including attempts to gain Spanish nationality in the past.
The court determined that the woman’s association with individuals involved in Islamic extremism could pose a risk to Spain’s national security, concluding that granting her citizenship would compromise public order and national interests.
This ruling stemmed from a legal case initiated by the woman, who argued that she met all necessary criteria for Spanish citizenship through naturalization. However, the court dismissed her claim and required her to cover the legal expenses.
At the time of this report, neither the court nor Spanish media had disclosed the woman’s name.
This decision aligns with the actions of Spain’s socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose government is enforcing a controversial mass amnesty plan aimed at providing legal residency and work permits to around 500,000 undocumented immigrants in Spain.
According to the Spanish newspaper El Pais, the three judges from Spain’s National Court mentioned that the woman applied for citizenship on June 27, 2024. Although she technically met the residence requirement, the Ministry of Justice concluded she didn’t demonstrate good civic behavior or adequate integration into Spanish society.
The woman’s father had been arrested in June 2016 on suspicion of promoting pro-ISIS propaganda, an act that indicated his support for the Islamic State’s ideology. He was deported in 2023 and faces a ten-year ban from re-entering Spain.
Furthermore, the man and his wife had previously sought Spanish citizenship before their arrest and deportation, as reported by El Pais.
The court order also indicated that other family members have connections to Islamic jihadism. Her husband, identified by El Pais, was arrested in March 2018 as part of a collaborative operation involving Spanish civil security and the Center for National Intelligence (CNI), under suspicion of attempting to join a terrorist group.
Eventually, he was acquitted due to lack of evidence. After his release, he relocated to Valencia with another Moroccan woman.
Nevertheless, during his temporary detention, he reportedly had interactions with others accused of jihadism. It was suggested that this was when he and the woman’s father agreed to an arranged marriage, a practice noted by Spanish authorities as common among Salafist and jihadist groups seeking partners who share their beliefs.
Documents seized from the husband indicated that his prison time may have deepened his extremist views, and he is currently under “special surveillance” due to suspicions of radicalization by Islamic jihadism.
