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Vacaciones en Paz: A Sahrawi Summer That Reveals an Endless Injustice

  • Writer: Miguel García Carretero
    Miguel García Carretero
  • Aug 25
  • 7 min read

Summer is sadly coming to an end, and you're probably already packing away your swimsuit and getting back into your usual routine. I bet you're returning with a perfect tan after spending a few sunny weeks on a golden beach in Greece, Italy, or Spain—drinking margaritas in a "chiringuito" and listening to Bad Bunny’s latest album (Martínez Ocasio, 2025).


No problems. No worries. Completely unplugged from the world.

 

But while we disconnect, history and law continue to shape the lives of those who cannot afford to look away. Peace. That’s what we, the privileged, look for in summer. And that’s exactly what around 3,000 Sahrawi children from the refugee camps in Tindouf, Algeria, experienced again this year—thanks to the “Vacaciones en Paz” (“Holidays in Peace”) program (CEAS-Sáhara, n.d.; La Revista de la Seguridad Social, 2025). Since 1979, this initiative has allowed Spanish families across the country to host Sahrawi children aged 8 to 12 during the summer, offering them care, a safe home, and a break from the harsh conditions of life in the camps (CEAS-Sáhara, n.d.).


Western Sahara: A Forgotten Colony

Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony since the 1885 Berlin Conference (Traité de Berlin, 1885) and officially a province in 1958 (Decreto de 10 de enero de 1958, 1958), has been the subject of a long-standing territorial dispute since Spain withdrew in 1975 (United Nations, 2024). The territory borders Morocco to the north, Algeria to the northeast, Mauritania to the east and south, and the Atlantic Ocean (facing the Canary Islands) to the west, covering an area of 266,000 km² (Una mirada al Sáhara Occidental, 2023; Decreto de 10 de enero de 1958, 1958)

 

In 1963, the United Nations included Western Sahara on its list of non-self-governing territories. In 1966, the UN General Assembly adopted Resolution 2229, reaffirming the inalienable right of the Sahrawi people to self-determination (United Nations, 1966).


A refugee tent sitting on top of a dirt field. Photo by ‪Salah Darwish on Unsplash
A refugee tent sitting on top of a dirt field. Photo by ‪Salah Darwish on Unsplash

 A UN fact-finding mission in 1975 identified the Polisario Front as the dominant political force in the region and found overwhelming local opposition to Moroccan and Mauritanian claims. That same year, the International Court of Justice confirmed that there were no legal ties of sovereignty between Western Sahara and either Morocco or Mauritania. Yet, Morocco launched the so-called “Green March”, and Spain, in retreat, signed the Madrid Accords, ceding administrative control of the territory to Morocco and Mauritania (United Nations, n.d.).

 

This triggered conflict with the Polisario Front, which declared the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in 1976. Thousands of Sahrawis fled to Algerian refugee camps amid violent repression. Mauritania later withdrew its claim, but Morocco annexed even more territory. A 1991 UN-brokered ceasefire ended open conflict, but the promised referendum on self-determination never came (United Nations Peacekeeping, n.d.).


What's the current situation?

Today, Western Sahara remains one of the world’s last non-decolonized territories, according to the UN. The Polisario Front continues to demand independence, while Morocco offers autonomy under its sovereignty. The Tindouf refugee camps remain, with little hope and worsening humanitarian conditions.

 

Diplomatically, Morocco has gained ground. In 2020, the U.S. recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in exchange for Morocco normalizing relations with Israel. Other countries—like France, the UAE, Germany, Israel, and Spain—have since echoed support for Morocco’s autonomy plan, calling it the “most serious, credible, and realistic” solution (Arredondas, 2025).

 

But this plan, while promising self-governance, effectively consolidates Morocco’s control over the territory—leaving foreign policy and defense under Rabat’s authority.

 

Spain, the former administrator, has aligned itself with this view. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez abruptly shifted Spain’s position, breaking with the Socialist Party’s historical support for Sahrawi self-determination. In 2019, the PSOE endorsed a referendum. Today, it supports Morocco’s autonomy proposal—de facto recognition of Moroccan sovereignty—without internal debate or a clear public explanation. The move has been criticized by the opposition or their coalition partner in the Government Sumar, who accuse the PSOE of lobbying for Morocco (El Mundo, 2025; Newtral, 2022).


Spanish Citizenship for Sahrawis?

In response, the Spanish Parliament recently processed a bill proposed by Sumar to grant nationality by naturalization to Sahrawis who lived under Spanish colonial administration—those born before 1976. The proposal passed with 195 votes in favor, 116 against, and 33 abstentions, where the only party voting "no" was PSOE. Even the far-right party Vox abstained (The Diplomat in Spain, 2023).

 

“The PSOE is voting today against thousands of host families,” declared Sumar MP Tesh Sidi, born in the Tindouf refugee camps.

“We will continue working to make sure this law doesn't get frozen. We celebrate this great achievement for all Sahrawis.” Sidi arrived in Spain in 2002 but had to wait 20 years for citizenship. Her father, once registered in what was Spain’s “53rd province,” still held a Social Security card signed by the Spanish Treasury. The proposal also aims to reduce the residency requirement for Sahrawis to obtain nationality—from ten years to two—acknowledging historical and cultural ties similar to those recognized for Latin Americans or Equatoguineans (Martínez, 2025).


Saharawi Refugee Camps by SAHARAWIVOICE

The Right to Self-Determination

The Polisario Front, backed by Algeria—Morocco’s main rival in the Maghreb—continues to advocate for a referendum. While that option garners less international support today, recent developments may shift the debate.

 

On October 4, 2024, the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) annulled parts of the EU-Morocco fisheries and agricultural agreements that included products from Western Sahara. The court argued that these violated the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination (ECLI:EU:C:2024:835, para. 158). The Court also recognized the Polisario Front as a legitimate legal actor, able to represent the Sahrawi people in court—despite not having formal legal personality (ECLI:EU:C:2024:835, para. 109). As a “privileged interlocutor,” it can defend Sahrawi rights in European jurisdictions.

 

Moreover, the court reaffirmed the principle of consent: no international treaty can apply to a third party—or to a non-self-governing territory—without its explicit agreement (ECLI:EU:C:2024:835, para. 125). This reinforces the international legal framework that protects the Sahrawi people's right to decide their own future.


Back to Reality

While you were enjoying the sea breeze and the sun on your skin, those Sahrawi children were discovering a different kind of summer. One without sandstorms, without tents under scorching heat, without the daily routine of life in exile. Instead, they found families who welcomed them with warmth, afternoons playing in parks, doctor visits that are a rare luxury in the camps—and above all, a moment of relief.

 

But that relief is temporary. When August ends, they return to Tindouf. Back to the dust. Back to the endless wait for a political solution that never seems to come. They return with happy memories, yes—but also with the awareness that their reality remains deeply unjust.


A young refugee boy holding a piece of food in his hands. Photo by ‪Salah Darwish on Unsplash
A young refugee boy holding a piece of food in his hands. Photo by ‪Salah Darwish on Unsplash

 "Vacaciones en Paz" (“Holidays in Peace”) is not just a hosting program. It’s an act of solidarity, a way of saying: you are not alone. And it’s also an invitation for us—the ones who can afford to disconnect—to reconnect with a cause that won’t solve itself.

 

Summer may end. But our commitment to justice shouldn’t be seasonal. 

Because no matter the geopolitical shifts, no matter the diplomatic deals or legal battles, the Sahrawi people have a fundamental and inalienable right to self-determination. That right must be respected—not to be postponed, negotiated away, or ignored.


Bibliography

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  2. BENITO ANTONIO MARTÍNEZ OCASIO, "Bad Bunny", DeBí TiRAR MáS FOToS (2025). https://open.spotify.com/album/5K79FLRUCSysQnVESLcTdb 

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  7. Decreto de 10 de enero de 1958 por el que se reorganiza el Gobierno General del África Occidental Española. BOE-A-1958-733. https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1958-733 

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  9. González, E. (2023, December 18). Sumar presents a bill to grant Spanish nationality to Sahrawis born before 1976. The Diplomat in Spain https://thediplomatinspain.com/en/2023/12/18/sumar-presents-a-bill-to-grant-spanish-nationality-to-sahrawis-born-before-1976/ 

  10. International Court of Justice. (2024). Summary record of the public sitting held on 25 April 2024 (No. 5), Peaceful Settlement of the Dispute over the Status and Use of the Waters of the Silala (Chile v. Bolivia). https://www.icj-cij.org/index.php/node/103758 

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  12. Martínez, S. (2025, February 26). Los saharauis: “Esperamos absolutamente nada del PSOE”. Público, https://www.publico.es/politica/congreso/saharauis-esperamos-absolutamente-psoe.html 

  13. Traité de Berlin 1885. https://mjp.univ-perp.fr/traites/1885berlin.html 

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