On July 9, the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the extension of the Law of Democratic Memory. What does this mean for descendants? Estela Marina, CEO of Grupo Aristeo, offered details in a live broadcast.
Announcement of LMD extension and non-publication in the BOE
Estela Marina addressed the recent confirmation by the Council of Ministers regarding the extension of the deadline for applying for Spanish nationality.
“I just hope that the BOE is published tomorrow because if not, this would be a game for a kindergarten.” expressemphasizing the lack of an official publication in the Official State Gazette (BOE).
Despite the minister’s announcement and the replication of the news in various media, the expert stressed the importance of having the official publication: “This is not news, it is information… the extension was imminent, but the BOE is not yet available.”
The most important news: deadlines to apply for Spanish nationality
Estela explained the impact of the extension on consulates and the time taken to process applications for nationality. According to her, the backlog of applications has been considerable, especially in the consulates of Latin America and Miami.
“Since the law came into force, there have been almost 301,000 applications for nationality by option,” he said. He also mentioned that some consulates, such as those in Argentina and Havana, are handling a volume of 53% of the total applications.
“There are a number of applicants who will find it difficult to receive an appointment and assistance before the two-year deadline expires. For this reason, the government has extended the two-year deadline for applying for Spanish nationality by one year,” said Estela Marina, referring to the overload of applications and the lack of resources in the consulates to process all the requests on time.
“So that all requests for appointments already submitted and pending date allocation can be attended to, as well as all requests that are submitted and cannot be attended to in the first two years of application initially provided for in the law. This is the most important paragraph from that note of the Council of Ministers,” he concluded, stressing the importance of this decision for the thousands of applicants waiting.
Credentials problem
Another critical point addressed by Estela Marina is the problem of credentials. In her words, “we are still dealing with the issue of credentials… we do not have credentials, ladies and gentlemen, we do not have appointments.”
The specialist stressed that the saturation of consulates has seriously affected the issuance of credentials necessary for the procedures. In addition, the current system is not providing adequate solutions.
He also denounced the lack of response from the Spanish Consulate in Havana and the need for more effective action by the authorities. “I don’t see a solution for the case, I don’t see one,” he lamented.
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