Hundreds seek Spanish citizenship

Hundreds of Cubans lined up outside the Spanish Embassy in Havana as Spain began taking applications under a law that makes grandchildren of Spanish immigrants eligible for Spanish citizenship.

Officials estimated that as many as 200,000 Cubans could seek a Spanish passport, and Spain has said 1 million people around the world could qualify to become Spaniards.

A Spanish passport is prized by many Cubans who view it as a way to get off the island, which at least a million people have left since Fidel Castro took power in 1959.