IF YOU can prove you're a direct descendant of one of the members of the Civil War International Brigade, you may be automatically entitled to Spanish nationality – jointly with your own, and whether or not you have ever lived in Spain.
An amendment to the Law of Historic Memory – originally launched in 2007 – has been agreed, and is expected to become set in stone soon.
“Descendants of the International Brigades who fought for freedom and against fascism in Spain will be able to access Spanish citizenship,” says Unidos Podemos leader and first deputy president, Pablo Iglesias.
“It was about time for the government to tell these heroes and heroines of democracy, 'thank you for coming'.”
Brits included – and exiles from fascist régimes in Europe
Over 50 nationalities made up the International Brigades, including British – to gain first-hand testimonials of the UK citizens who travelled to Spain to help out during the Civil War, men and women alike, the most accessible and fascinating source is Max Arthur's book The Real Band of Brothers – and they were drafted in between 1936 and 1938 inclusive.
The Brigades were voluntary, and around 59,000 people joined up from all over the planet, including Latin America, the USA, Canada, and much of Europe, not just Spain's 'traditional' allies.
French, Italian, German, Polish, Yugoslav, Belgian, Czech, Hungarian, Dutch and British were just a handful of these; some of the nations involved had governments who supported Franco's fascist régime and became his allies after he gained power when the Republicans lost the War, showing that humanity and society stretch far beyond the actions of a country's leaders.
Read more at thinkSPAIN.com