Portugal’s parliament prepares official end to system giving Sephardic Jews nationality
Portugal’s parliament has approved the government’s bill that puts an end to the system for descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews to apply for nationality.
With effect from January 1, 2024, the law provides for the repeal of the rule that allowed the government to grant nationality by naturalisation “to descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews, by demonstrating a tradition of belonging to a Sephardic community of Portuguese origin, based on proven objective requirements of connection to Portugal, namely surnames, family language, direct or collateral descent”.
With the support of the ruling Socialist Party (PS) and the Left Bloc, and the abstention of the right-wing Chega Party, Liberal Party and Livre Party, the initiative was approved at the first reading stage and is now up for discussion in the Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees Committee.
Even before the vote, during the debate period, the minister for justice explained that the regime in question has been in force for 10 years and, although it represents “fair recognition”, it has already fulfilled its function.
“The duty of historical reparation cannot, should not and is not intended to erase the events that gave rise to it. Always symbolic, it is intended to mark a recognition that has been fulfilled through a generous window of time,” said Catarina Sarmento e Castro.
According to the minister, around 262,000 people had applied for naturalisation under the rule by the end of last year, and around 75,000 have been granted it.
However, in September last year, more restrictive rules came into force following a number of controversies. These more restrictive rules were bitterly contested by the Jewish community in Porto.
Communist Alma Rivera argued that the current regime has become a business and a “resource for abusively obtaining Portuguese nationality”, and that there is “no point in its existence“.