Spain on Thursday
issued its first passport to a Cuban of Spanish heritage under a law that
recognizes the citizenship of descendants of immigrants and has attracted
thousands of applicants on the communist island, dpa
reported.
The Spanish law in effect since December 29 allows the children and
grandchildren of Spaniards who fled the country during the Spanish Civil War
and the beginning of the Franco dictatorship to apply for citizenship.
The Spanish embassy in Havanna has received 25,000 applications.
The first Cuban to receive a passport was a 38-year-old doctor who plans to
leave for Spain on Sunday.
Cubans are only allowed to leave the island with special permission, but those
with Spanish passports would be allowed to travel freely.
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