Spain is consolidating itself as the main route of access to citizenship for thousands of Moroccans, with record numbers of nationalizations that, according to official Eurostat data for 2024, place the country at the center of the continent's migratory map
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Spain has become one of the main sources of access to European citizenship within the European Union. The consolidated data for 2024, from the official Eurostat database and to which the media have had access, show that the country has a particularly high proportion of new nationalities granted to Moroccan citizens within the community block. Specifically, Spain already accounts for 44.19% of all nationalizations granted to Moroccans in the European Union, ranking well ahead of other community partners. This percentage confirms that Spanish territory has established itself as the main gateway to European citizenship for this group
.
In absolute terms, 97,100 Moroccans obtained the nationality of a member State in the last official year analyzed by Brussels. Of that total, 42,910 did so in Spain, which means that practically one out of every two new European citizens of Moroccan origin acquires their new legal status in Spanish territory. The data acquires greater relevance when analyzed in a comparative perspective within Western Europe. Spain has clearly surpassed countries historically linked to Maghrebi migration, such as
France and Italy. Pedro Sánchez While Spain leads with 42,910 concessions, Italy stands at around 27,600 (28.5%) and France falls to about 14,400 (14.9%).
The difference is significant: Spain nationalizes three Moroccan citizens for each one who achieves it in France, which represents a change in trend that alters the classic map of integration
in Europe.
This shift responds to several factors that have been shaping the current scenario. These include the length of administrative processes, legal requirements and, in the Spanish case, historical and human ties with certain migrant communities. Added to this is the weight of established family networks, which facilitate entrenchment processes and consolidate new
requests for nationalization.
Record and acceleration in a decade
The evolution of the figures indicates that this is not an isolated or short-term phenomenon. Spain has practically doubled the total number of nationalizations in the last decade. In 2015, 114,351 nationalities were granted, while 252,476 were registered in 2024, representing an increase of more than 120%. This growth marks a notable acceleration in the policy of granting citizenship in the country
.
In the specific case of Moroccan citizens, the increase has been even more marked. Before the pandemic, in 2019, there were 24,527 nationalizations. Subsequently, the figure reached more than 54,000 in 2023 and, although moderate, it remains at high levels with 42,910 in the last recorded year. According to these data, Moroccan citizens represent around 17% of the total number of new nationalities granted in Spain, making them the largest national group among the country's new citizens
.
This increase coincides with a progressive streamlining of administrative procedures in recent years, in contrast to systems considered slower in other European countries such as France or Italy.
Spain accounts for 44% of the total number of Moroccan nationalizations in the EU
Spain's weight in terms of nationalizations is not limited to the Moroccan case. Within the European Union as a whole, the country is ranked as the second member state that grants the most citizenship, only behind Germany. In 2024, Germany granted 288,700 citizenship, while Spain reached 252,500 and Italy 217,400. The Spanish position is especially striking considering its smaller population compared to other large countries in the European Bloc
.
This volume places Spain as one of the great points of access to new European citizens, with a profile marked by the diversity of origins. In addition to Moroccans, citizens from Latin American countries such as Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador stand out. Another relevant indicator is the naturalization rate, which measures the number of nationalities granted per 100 foreign residents in the country. In this section, Spain registers 3.9 nationalizations per 100 foreign residents, one of the highest figures in the European Union and well above several countries in the east of the continent, where it barely reaches 0.5
.
The increase in nationalizations in Spain is, in turn, part of a wider trend throughout the community block. During 2024, nearly 1.2 million people acquired the citizenship of a member state of the European Union, mostly from outside the bloc. The figures thus reflect a change of scale in the nationalization policy in Spain and consolidate its role as one of the main accesses to European citizenship within the continent, in a political context marked by the debate on migration, integration and State policies during Pedro Sánchez's current term of
