Spain grants citizenship to 93-year-old Mexican with no Spanish parents or grandparents

A great-grandson born in 1821 gets citizenship at 93

Can a great-grandfather born in Burgos in 1821 turn his 93-year-old descendant into a Spaniard? According to the case that has sparked controversy, yes. The Spanish Government has reportedly granted citizenship to a nonagenarian Mexican who has no Spanish parents or grandparents, relying on an ancestor born in Burgos more than two centuries ago. The so-called "grandchildren law" does not cover great-grandchildren. That is the detail that grates.

The beneficiary claimed that his great-grandfather was born in 1821 in Burgos. The law, designed for grandchildren of exiles, is being stretched to limits nobody foresaw. And that is where the murmuring starts: if the criterion is that elastic, where does it end?

What is the grandchildren law and who does it cover?

The grandchildren law (a Spanish statute restoring citizenship to descendants of Spaniards who lost it) was created to repair the link with descendants of Spaniards who lost or could not keep their nationality. Its natural scope is children and grandchildren. Great-grandchildren are excluded. The case of the 93-year-old Mexican rests on a great-grandfather born in Burgos in 1821, two centuries ago, and on an interpretation many consider forced.

Some argue that each citizenship grant of this kind opens the door to the next. The counterargument is that these are individual cases and that the administration is applying the law. The problem is that the law, as written, leaves loopholes.

The antiestéticared but unproven electoral fraud

The antiestéticar running through this affair is not only legal. It is electoral. The argument is made that naturalizing thousands of people opens the door to captive votes, to votes cast by someone on behalf of those who cannot or do not know how to vote. A nonagenarian is not going to vote. But someone could do it for him. That is the scenario being described, with no evidence to back it up.

About July 23, 2023, a testimony is circulating: a maintenance worker recounts that a Correos (Spanish postal service) supervisor allegedly ordered her to throw several boxes of company material into a container the day after the election. She suspects they contained postal ballots. She admits she could not verify their contents or obtain documentary evidence. It is a testimony, not a verdict.

The proposal floating around: freezing the electoral roll

The harshest response would be to suspend the registration of all new Spanish citizens until it is verified how many actually met the conditions. The idea has supporters and detractors. The former believe the fraud is structural and must be stopped cold. The latter see the measure as a abusa of the rights of thousands of people who do meet the requirements.

The full calculation, with the number of naturalizations and their possible impact on the electoral roll, is the missing piece. Without it, everything is conjecture.

The economic backdrop: healthcare and pensions

Beyond the vote, an economic debate simmers. Some claim the naturalization is sought to gain access to public healthcare and pensions. The case of a 76-year-old Cuban who allegedly applied for a non-contributory pension is mentioned. It is an example, not a proven trend.

The question left hanging is how much this trickle costs. Nobody has quantified it. And without figures, the discussion stays in the realm of suspicion.

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In the end, the naturalization of a 93-year-old Mexican is the anecdote. What really matters is the legal loophole that allows it. And for now, that loophole remains open.