Empire Rising: Spain

Because Moroccans are considered white, the requirements for Moroccans to acquire Spanish nationality have been relaxed by the Spanish Government.

As long as they convert to Catholicism and are proficient in the Spanish language, they are eligible to apply for Spanish nationality.

Of course, after applying for Spanish nationality, there is a probationary period. Generally, if one is an honest farmer, they will be granted Spanish nationality and the opportunity to go to Spain after this period.

However, if one’s background is somewhat complex, or there’s a risk of extreme nationalism, then unfortunately, all involved, including family members, are refused Spanish citizenship.

The probationary period typically lasts from 3 to 6 months, with a maximum of up to one year. Generally, its length can be reduced through good behavior, but it can’t be shorter than 3 months.

Spain has established mines, some construction teams, and plantations in Southern Morocco. Moroccans who perform well at the mines, construction teams, or plantations can shorten their probation period, and even bypass the requirement of being proficient in Spanish, needing only a few words to acquire Spanish nationality.

Since there will be opportunities to learn Spanish once in Spain, relaxing some restrictions in this regard is acceptable.

However, no matter what, to join the Spanish nationality, one must convert to Catholicism. For European immigrants, Spain accepts all religions within Christianity, but for non-European immigrants, the condition is Catholicism.

After Spain established the South Morocco Colony, the population introduction policy had a certain effect.

Currently, there are over 2,500 Moroccans who have acquired Spanish nationality, and this number continues to increase by over 500 people annually.

If it weren’t for the Spanish Government being too stringent in background checks, the pace of Moroccan immigration might have been several times faster.

Although only 2,500 Moroccans have acquired Spanish nationality, this does not mean there are only that few willing to become Spanish citizens.

Spain’s governance attitude towards Moroccans is highly polarized, and the double standards are quite blatant. For those more extreme Muslims and extremist Moroccan nationalists, Spain’s attitude is very harsh.

Their treatment is to labor until death in the mines and elsewhere, with no possibility of ever leaving these labor sites in their lifetime.

However, for non-extremist Moroccans, Spain is still willing to give them a chance. As long as they perform well on the job, have certain technical skills, or are willing to intermarry with Spanish soldiers, they can obtain Spanish nationality.

There are currently hundreds of Moroccan girls who have married Spanish soldiers, which also proves that a significant part of Moroccans is not averse to becoming Spaniards.

After all, in terms of appearance, Moroccans and Spaniards are very similar. The real differences lie in religion and language, which can be changed over time.

In Muslim religion, there are indeed some fairly extreme followers, but there are also some non-extreme or only superficially religious followers.

When it comes to their own interests, switching religions isn’t impossible.

In the South Morocco Colony, those who speak Spanish and those who don’t, as well as Muslims and Catholics, have huge disparities in wages.

Moroccans who speak Spanish and are Catholic, though still required to work on plantations and in mines, are not sent to particularly dangerous places, their work is less exhausting, and they receive enough food, which occasionally includes meat, vegetables, and fruits.

Those who fulfill only one of the conditions of speaking Spanish or being Catholic still receive certain privileges, such as safer working conditions or less taxing work.

Those who neither speak Spanish nor practice Catholicism receive no privileges. They are prioritized for more dangerous tasks, or, if not dangerous, certainly for labor-intensive work.

Their daily food consists mainly of black bread made of mixed grains, sometimes straw, with the occasional inclusion of sand, tree bark, and roots.

Even so, they can only have one full meal a day. The other two meals are dilute porridge and leafy vegetable soup, just enough to keep them from starving.

The reason for such drastically disparate treatment is not only to reward compliant Moroccans and attract more Moroccan "defectors," but also to minimize the colony’s expenses.

Compared to Northern Morocco, the economy in the South Morocco Colony is quite backward, and the land mostly constitutes desert and mountainous areas.

The purpose of Spain’s occupation of this land is to localize Southern Morocco, even the whole of Morocco, hence there is no need to cherish Moroccans too much.

If Moroccans are willing to submit to Spanish rule, then Spain can kindly assimilate these Moroccans.

But if Moroccans are very opposed to or even hostile to Spanish colonial rule, then the Spanish Government could consider fully expelling Moroccans and bringing Spanish immigrants to occupy the area.

As long as the land of Morocco is entirely Spanish, then this land has always been Spanish.