Spanish government adds thousands of alleged Franco-era exiles to voter roll

In preparation for the upcoming election, the Spanish government has moved to register a large number of applicants as voters under the law that grants citizenship to descendants of those who escaped Franco's regime. The initiative, driven by instructions from Sofía Puente, sister of minister Óscar Puente, follows recent expansions of the voter list championed by the PSOE. Investigations reveal that many of the applicants claim to have fled to Spanish-administered plazas in Morocco, a territory that was part of the Spanish protectorate from 1912 to 1956 and included cities such as Tetuán, Nador and Tangier.

Historical records show that these locations were under Franco's control during the relevant years, casting doubt on the plausibility of the exile narratives. Critics argue that the lack of verifiable links to the exile period undermines the legitimacy of the added votes, while officials maintain the process complies with existing nationality legislation.