Can I Claim Spanish Nationality?

[Art]

Thanks for the details, Charolette. Did you just go and ask them how to apply for a passport when you got there?

I'm glad to hear that they do the fingerprints and allow you to have the passport mailed to you. Did you have to go to the post office first to pick up a prepaid Express Mail Flat Rate envelope?

[Charolette]

I just went in and said I needed to apply for my passport. I went across the street to a little rip off postal place and paid $23. for a $18 envelope but I was happy not to have to hunt for a post office in San Francisco. When I bought the envelope they gave me a tracking number so I can watch for it. I have to say that even tho I had a very long wait, the people at the Consulate were very nice and kept telling me how sorry they were for my long wait. Also it was clear that they were extremly busy and had several problems to deal with.

[Art]

Thanks, again, that's very helpful.

I'll have to try calling again to check on the status of my application. I've called twice and haven't gotten a return call.

[Charolette]

I had the best luck with email. After my email telling them how worried I was, I received a call back, followed by an email. I really think that is why I finally got mine. If you email be sure to include your file number.

[Bob]

I filed for Spanish citizenship on January 5, 2011, and have heard nothing back. I called the Spanish consulate in NY a few minutes ago. They said that all consulates ere swamped with applications (mine was forwarded to Los Angeles, where I was born) and to call again in October if I still have had no reply. The good news is that they confirmed my application, found it easily, and gave me my file number.

Bob

[Art]

[Castellano abajo]

News reports are saying that there is likely to be a liberalization of the Law of Memory. One part of the new law would extend the benefit to grandchildren through their grandmothers. It is currently allows citizenship only through the lineage of the grandfathers.

Reading between the lines, there may also be an extension of the deadline to apply. That will at least be likely for those who apply for nationality through their grandmothers. We'll see.

The text of this article appears below:
http://www.institutoramonrubial.fundaci ... s=31&i=307

trans. Art

Senate OKs end to the controversy over the granting of citizenship to the grandchildren of exiled Spanish grandmothers

June 30, 2011

The text also allows missing persons from the Civil War and dictatorship to be registered [as dead, I believe] in the Civil Registry.

The Socialist Parliamentary Group in the Senate has filed the Draft Civil Registration Act through an amendment which puts an end to inequities in the acquisition of Spanish nationality among grandchildren of some exiled grandmothers.

Because of discriminatory legislation in force at the time of the war, many of the exiled women who married foreigners in the countries they emigrated to lost Spanish nationality, so they could not pass it on to their descendants.

To address this, the seventh additional provision of Law 52/2007 of December 26, recognizes and expands rights and establishes means for those who were subjected to persecution or violence during the Civil War and dictatorship. This allows the children and grandchildren of the exiles to acquire Spanish nationality by choice [por opción] that their parents or grandparents could not pass on to them because they were forced to ive it up or told they couldn't keep it.

But in practice, the wording of the provision was misleading, so that there was no reference to possiblity that the grandchildren of female Spanish exiles who had retained their nationality could also benefit from those established rights. This was discriminatory treatment which until now had been carried out.

The amendment by PSOE recognizes and extends "the rights and establishes measures for those who suffered persecution or violence during the Civil War and dictatorship, so that [a new class] may also exercise [their rights:] the grandchildren of Spanish exiles who retained their Spanish nationality after marriage to a foreigner after 5 August 1954, date of entry into force of the Law of July 15, 1954, provided that they did not transmit Spanish nationality to their children, [the children] adopting instead the nationality of the father, and [under the condition that these children and grandchildren] formalize their statement to that effect within one year from the entry into force of this provision."

Another amendment adopted by the Socialist Parliamentary Group in the Senate can facilitate registration of the death of those who disappeared during the Civil War and Franco.

The proposal had the support of 125 votes to 114 against in the Bill of Civil Registry, and with this proposal, the intention is to carry out registration of the death of missing persons during the war and the Franco thereby reducing the the requirements necessary to show that a death occurred, as long as, according to the text, "the evidence can reasonably [be interpreted as] referring to the death."

Thus, the Socialist group [party] has been able to respond to complaints that for years have been raised by the descendants of victims of the Civil War, who have never ceased to demand the ability to file documentation in a less complex and costly manner that the law allows to date.

These amendments have already been approved by the Commission of Justice and, if the Congress of Deputies approves the draft Law on Civil Registry, will take effect just days after its publication in the Official State Bulletin (BOE). For the rest of the standard, we will have to wait some time, as it will enter into force after three years.

------------------------

Informes de prensa dicen que es probable que ocurrirá una liberalización de la Ley de la Memoria. Una parte de la nueva ley extiende el beneficio a los nietos a través de sus abuelas. Es en la actualidad sólo se permite nacionalidad por la línea de los abuelos.

Leyendo entre líneas, también puede ser una extensión de la fecha límite para solicitar. Al menos es probable para los que hagan una solicitud a través de sus abuelas. A ver.

El texto de este artículo aparece a continuación:
http://www.institutoramonrubial.fundaci ... s=31&i=307

El Senado aprueba poner fin a la polémica suscitada sobre la concesión de la nacionalidad española a los nietos de las abuelas exiliadas

30 de Junio de 2011

El texto también acepta que los desaparecidos de la Guerra Civil y la dictadura puedan ser inscritos en el Registro Civil.

El Grupo Parlamentario Socialista en el Senado ha presentado al Proyecto de Ley de Registro Civil una enmienda a través de la cual se acaba con las desigualdades existentes en materia de adquisición de la nacionalidad española entre nietos y nietas de algunas abuelas exiliadas.

Debido a la legislación discriminatoria vigente en la época de la contienda, muchas de las mujeres exiliadas que contrajeron matrimonio con extranjeros en los países de destino perdieron la nacionalidad española, por lo que no pudieron transmitirla a sus descendientes.

Para dar solución a esta situación, la disposición adicional séptima de la Ley 52/2007, de 26 de diciembre, reconoce y amplía derechos, y establece mediadas a favor de quienes fueron objeto de persecuciones o violencia durante la Guerra Civil y la dictadura. Todo ello permitiendo que los hijos y nietos de los exiliados pudieran adquirir por opción la nacionalidad española que sus padres o abuelos no pudieron transmitir porque se vieron obligados o formados a perderla.

Pero en la práctica la redacción de la disposición llevaba a confusión, de tal manera que no se hacía referencia a que los nietos de algunas exiliadas españolas que conservaron su nacionalidad, pudieran también beneficiarse todos esos derechos establecidos. Un trato discriminatorio que hasta ahora se venía haciendo.

La enmienda presentada por el PSOE reconoce y amplía textualmente “los derechos y se establecen medidas a favor de quienes padecieron persecución o violencia durante la Guerra Civil y la dictadura, podrán también ejercerlo los nietos de las exiliadas españolas que conservaron la nacionalidad española tras haber contraído matrimonio con un extranjero con posterioridad al 5 de agosto de 1954, fecha de la entrada en vigor de la Ley de 15 julio 1954, siempre que no transmitiesen la nacionalidad española a sus hijos, por seguir éstos la del padre, y formalicen su declaración en tal sentido en el plazo de una año desde la entrada en vigor de la presente disposición”.

Otra de las enmiendas aprobadas por el Grupo Parlamentario Socialista en el Senado permite favorecer la inscripción de defunción de todos aquellos desaparecidos durante la Guerra Civil y el franquismo.

La propuesta ha contado con el apoyo de 125 votos a favor y 114 en contra dentro del Proyecto de Ley de Registro Civil, y con ella se pretende llevar a cabo la inscripción de defunción de las personas desaparecidas durante la contienda y el franquismo atenuando el rigor de la demostración del fallecimiento, pero siempre que, según el texto, “de las pruebas aportadas pueda referirse razonablemente su fallecimiento.”

De esta manera, el grupo socialista ha sabido dar respuesta a las quejas que durante años se han venido planteando por parte de los descendientes de las víctimas de la Guerra Civil, en las que nunca han dejado de reivindicar la accesibilidad al expediente registral de una manera menos compleja y costosa de la que hasta hoy contempla la Ley.

Dichas enmiendas ya han sido aprobadas en la Comisión de Justicia y, si el Congreso de los Diputados aprueba el Proyecto de Ley de Registro Civil, se harán efectivas justo al día siguiente de su publicación en el Boletín Oficial del Estado (BOE). Para el resto de la norma habrá que esperar algún tiempo más, ya que entrará en vigor a los tres años.

[Art]

I received no answer to several phone calls and emails, but today the birth certificate arrived! Exciting!

-----------------

No recibí una respuesta a varias llamadas telefónicas y correos electrónicos, ¡pero hoy llegó el certificado de nacimiento! ¡Emocionante!

[Charolette]

Thats Great. Now all you have to do is get your passport. Luckily it takes far less time!

[Art]

Ron Gonzalez told me that the Consulate in Washington, DC, is closed for vacation all of August. Does anyone know more about this?

---------------------------------------

Ron González me dijo que el Consulado en Washington, DC, está cerrado por vacaciones el mes de agosto. ¿Hay alguien que sabe más?

[Charolette]

Hi Art
They don't say anything about it on the embassy web site. Maybe you can call them.

[Art]

I couldn't find it on the site either, but when I called multiple times today, all I ever got (at least during business hours) was a busy signal. Odd. I hate to drive down if they're not open.

------------------------

No lo encontré por su página tampoco, pero cuando le llamé varias veces hoy en día, solamente oí (al menos durante los horarios de oficina) una señal de telefónico de comunicando o ocupado. Muy raro. No quiero viajar allá si no está abierto.

[Charolette]

Send them an email and tell them its urgent, that you are planning to drive down and need to know if they are open.

[Art]

Good idea. I'll try that.

[Art]

I was told by staff that the DC consulate only allows citizenship requests on Thursdays 9 a.m - 1 p.m.

Was there a similar limitation in San Francisco as to when you could appear to apply for a passport?

-----------------------

Me dijeron el personal del consulado en Washington que solamente se permite una solicitud de ciudadanía, los jueves de 9 a.m. a 1 p.m.

¿Hay una limitación similar en San Francisco en cuanto a cuándo se puede aparecer para solicitar un pasaporte?

[Charolette]

No, I could go any day and any time. I did have a very long wait because they were really busy. I really didn't mind the wait because it was obvious that they were truly swamped.