Can Reparations From Franco's Dictatorship Create a New Travel Wave of Migration to Spain?
Skift Take
A new law that just passed in Spain related to the long reign of former dictator Francisco Franco will allow more Spanish descendants to apply for citizenship. This is useful for immigrants residing in the country. And for the diaspora, it could mean longer trips to Europe without need for a visa.
The Democratic Memory Law is a reparation initiative for the long-term consequences of Franco’s dictatorship. It will recognize citizenship rights to victims of exile and their descendants. For the first time, grandchildren of Spanish exiles can request it without age limitations.
General Francisco Franco in Spain in 1943. Source: Vicente Martin/Wikimedia.Spanish officials are expecting “avalanches” of citizenship applications from Argentina, Cuba and México. This is important as the Americas — counting the U.S. — brought in almost four million tourists in the first eight months of 2022, according to the Spanish Statistics Institute (INE). Another country that received exiles was France, the second biggest so
