Spanish Nationality: The Consulate has detailed when the process of the new “Descendants Law” will start, which will benefit thousands of Argentines

The interest generated in Argentina’s “Eighth Additional Referee” from Recently passed “Democratic Memory Act” by The Spanish Parliament has grown in the last hours. The concrete possibility means that thousands of Spanish descendants Those who fled the Iberian state during the Franco regime could obtain Spanish citizenship.

This is well known to the Spanish diplomatic missions in Argentina, which have already begun to prepare for a barrage of consultations that, According to pre-LA NACIÓN estimates, their number could exceed 60 thousand, If we take into account the background of the “Historical Memory Law” that came into force in 2008 in which more than 60,000 applications were received in the country.

in Conversation with LA NACION, Juan Alvar Merino CopelloThe deputy consul in charge of the civil registry of the Spanish consulate in Buenos Aires clarified what are the remaining official steps until the law approved by the Spanish Senate on Wednesday enters into force and which is known in Argentina as the “Descendants Law”.

“Some time ago, two months ago, the House of Representatives approved the bill, and then there was some confusion in believing that it was already a law, and that the parliamentary process was already over. But that just happened this week with the approval of the other house, the Senate, but it hasn’t come into effect yet.Merino Copello explained.

The vice consul explained:What remains now is the actual punishment. In Spain, laws are signed by His Majesty. It is a procedure in itself and, once completed, is published in the Official Gazette of the State (BOE). After publication, the next day, he begins to judge. What we still don’t know today is the day the law will be published in the Bank of England.”

“Some time may pass from the next week or in the following days within 20 days after the sentence ParliamentMerino Copello, who made it clear that the King had no veto power after the rule had been ratified by both Houses, advanced.

Asked about the regulation of the new law, the diplomat explained: “This regulatory process is very important, but it has not happened yet. In other words, the law is very close to taking effect, but it has not yet done so and the second point is that every law requires regulation or regulatory development. By this I mean that it requires other, less ranked regulations detailing it or specifying more technical aspects. Not only the organization, but in our case as well, there is a general directorate within the Ministry of Justice that was formerly called the General Directorate of Records and the notaries office is now called the General Directorate of Security. This title is the person who publishes instructions detailing how or how to apply this law.

Regarding the Eighth Additional Provision, the consular official said it was an oath that needed to be explained by regulations. “Here will be determined the circumstances in which a person can acquire Spanish citizenship because they are the offspring of the exiles. In interpretation, for example, It is necessary to clarify what is meant by exile. will come later“.

To bring peace of mind about it, Merino Copello noted: “We will implement it from the day after its publication in the Bank of England. At the time of its publication, it takes effect the next day. After that, the Consulate General of Spain in Buenos Aires will be able to receive applications. We will, yes, by appointment. If not, if any potential recipient can come to the consulate, as the number of potential recipients is large, we will create a public order problem that we don’t want to create in any context.”

“We do not have an estimated number of potential recipients, but if we take in the background the “Historical Memory Act” that came into force in 2008, in which more than 60,000 applications were received in the country, the number could be approximately the same or a little more.. I don’t want to dare give a number, but it would be a big number,” said the vice-consul at the largest of the five Spanish consular offices in the country. The other four are in Bahía Blanca, Mendoza, Cordoba and Rosario. In the case of the Buenos Aires Consulate, the largest of the five, 80 daily shifts are granted, but this number will increase as of the new law.

People will deposit their files. We will analyze and evaluate it. For the latter, we need that regulation and those instructions from the General Directorate of Security. We will receive the files from day one, but it may take days, weeks, or maybe months to resolve them. will be practicalsaid the consular official.

In this case, the diplomat noted, the law will enter into force.The day after it was published in the Bank of England. This is a good thing because the demands and expectations of Argentines and many other citizens of the world who are descended from Spanish exiles will soon be met. But it also gives us less time to obtain all the elements of the ruling, from which from the moment it becomes effective we will receive the files. But, perhaps, we cannot evaluate them at the same time in every case.”

“The Grandson’s Law” You will not specify the age of submission. In contrast, current regulations only consider children of Spanish parents who meet any of the requirements detailed by the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs:

The legislation will be applied directly and Without the need for the person receiving the benefit to live in the country for a certain period of time. Currently, only Argentines who do not have citizenship or have work or study visas can legally reside in Spain for 90 days.

If you have obtained Spanish citizenship, Access to the local education system, jobs within the European community, and free transit are also granted.

To proceed with obtaining Spanish citizenship, it is necessary to submit the following documents:

Once the documents are collected, you can access the website of the Consulate General of Spain and then create a username and password to enter. There you must order a shift for one of the five consulates.