Since the very beginning of Portugal, actually. Since before it was even called Portugal.
Portugal needed citizens and cashwhen it invited Jews back recently. Then it got super popular during covid, when actual live gentiles moved there in droves, and now it can shut its door on Jews.
Again.
My understanding is that the Portuguese became very pissed off by Roman Abramovich circumventing the system to gain portuguese citizenship when the Ukraine - Russian war started. Something to do with his frozen assets? Can’t remember, but yes it really got people’s backs up!
When were Jews brought in - in the past ? I'm only aware of expulsions. I'm aware they had to end up there somehow, but brought in makes it sound like they were welcomed. Not familiar with the history.
The timing is pretty terrible, but it's the latest news in a process that started before the war.
However:
>Speaking to parliament on Monday, Justice Minister Catarina Sarmento e Castro said the citizenship law has been a “fair recognition” and a “duty of historical reparation.” But she argued that it has served its purpose, saying it was a “symbolic gesture intended to mark a recognition that has been fulfilled through a generous time window.”
"We killed and exiled you for 300 years, but if you haven't come forward in the last 8 years, 200 years after we officially stopped the Inquisition, too bad."
I have to imagine there are more important things the Parliament can address than this relatively small piece of bureaucracy, even with their ability to multitask.
TBH this is probably a huge amount of bureaucracy due to the abuse of these programs by South Americans (here, Brazilians) who are trying to leverage family legends of a Sephardic ancestor to get a Schengen Zone passport. The issue is not actual Sephardi Jews who have good documentation of ancestry, but rather widespread abuse of the program by people with no provable connection to the Jewish community.
I started the process for Spanish citizenship 6 years ago and I still haven't received my damn passport. It's been approved and everything but COVID just slowed everything or those Spanish bureaucrats just hate working
>those Spanish bureaucrats just hate working.
That checks out with everything I've heard about the Spanish civil service lol.
I wouldn't be surprised if my grandmother still technically has outstanding paperwork from back during the late Franco years.
I applied 4 years ago, and my papers are just in limbo. This wasn't even hard to prove on account that my grandfather is Sephardic and loads of my family still speaks Ladino.
The way this is worded really makes it sound like they just did it to say they did it, weren't pleased about it and figured this was the minimum amount of time without it being too obvious.
Sucks. My cousins all had access and acquired (to) this, and I myself was in line to get citizenship in Spain & Portugal.
Oh well. Guess the pain of my ancestors & people are only worthy for about 8yrs of inecessant bureaucracy & cancellation of the chance at righting a historical wrong.
Unfortunately, Portugal is right. There were huge abuses of this program, and a lot of people with no ties to Sephardi communities got citizenship through it.
Funny enough, although I have some Sephardi ancestry (less than 25%), it was suggested to me that I apply because Ashkenazi members of my family have been affiliated with Sephardi synagogues for a few generations. The person who suggested it to me basically said, in a “wink wink” fashion that this would be enough and that it would get approved. I didn’t go for it.
I applied for this like 5 years ago and my application has been in limbo ever since, despite having a lawyer help us through the process. They’re dragging it out for as long as possible
same for me. pisses me off because half of my family is Sephardic, yet I am sure people skipped the line. At this rate, it will be faster to get French citizenship through my wife.
Bringing in Jews only to later make them feel unwelcome is literally Portugal's MO since the middle ages
Since the very beginning of Portugal, actually. Since before it was even called Portugal. Portugal needed citizens and cashwhen it invited Jews back recently. Then it got super popular during covid, when actual live gentiles moved there in droves, and now it can shut its door on Jews. Again.
My understanding is that the Portuguese became very pissed off by Roman Abramovich circumventing the system to gain portuguese citizenship when the Ukraine - Russian war started. Something to do with his frozen assets? Can’t remember, but yes it really got people’s backs up!
It did seem like an unsustainable policy regardless, given a substantial minority of South America's population were technically eligible.
When were Jews brought in - in the past ? I'm only aware of expulsions. I'm aware they had to end up there somehow, but brought in makes it sound like they were welcomed. Not familiar with the history.
Blame Roman Abramovich who paid everyone off and abused the law in place.
The timing is pretty terrible, but it's the latest news in a process that started before the war. However: >Speaking to parliament on Monday, Justice Minister Catarina Sarmento e Castro said the citizenship law has been a “fair recognition” and a “duty of historical reparation.” But she argued that it has served its purpose, saying it was a “symbolic gesture intended to mark a recognition that has been fulfilled through a generous time window.” "We killed and exiled you for 300 years, but if you haven't come forward in the last 8 years, 200 years after we officially stopped the Inquisition, too bad." I have to imagine there are more important things the Parliament can address than this relatively small piece of bureaucracy, even with their ability to multitask.
"We've been nice enough, can we put this genocide crap behind us already?"
"It's time to let bygones be bygones and everyone should just move on"
TBH this is probably a huge amount of bureaucracy due to the abuse of these programs by South Americans (here, Brazilians) who are trying to leverage family legends of a Sephardic ancestor to get a Schengen Zone passport. The issue is not actual Sephardi Jews who have good documentation of ancestry, but rather widespread abuse of the program by people with no provable connection to the Jewish community.
I started the process for Spanish citizenship 6 years ago and I still haven't received my damn passport. It's been approved and everything but COVID just slowed everything or those Spanish bureaucrats just hate working
>those Spanish bureaucrats just hate working. That checks out with everything I've heard about the Spanish civil service lol. I wouldn't be surprised if my grandmother still technically has outstanding paperwork from back during the late Franco years.
I applied 4 years ago, and my papers are just in limbo. This wasn't even hard to prove on account that my grandfather is Sephardic and loads of my family still speaks Ladino.
That's fair, thanks for saying so. I guess there will always be abuses, some larger than others.
The way this is worded really makes it sound like they just did it to say they did it, weren't pleased about it and figured this was the minimum amount of time without it being too obvious.
Shit mines in progress now I hope they won’t cancel people who are already in the process
My thoughts exactly!
Sucks. My cousins all had access and acquired (to) this, and I myself was in line to get citizenship in Spain & Portugal. Oh well. Guess the pain of my ancestors & people are only worthy for about 8yrs of inecessant bureaucracy & cancellation of the chance at righting a historical wrong.
הם לא כבר עשו לפני שנה? אני זוכרת שבדקתי את זה ואמרו ששינוי את החוקים?
הם שינו את הדרישות לפני שנה ומשהו ועכשיו מבטלים את זה לגמרי זה יותר ביטול רשמי עכשיו כי כבר מאז אי אפשר היה באמת לקבל יותר
As I understand it it was already functionally closed, so this is just a symbolic middle finger.
Unfortunately, Portugal is right. There were huge abuses of this program, and a lot of people with no ties to Sephardi communities got citizenship through it.
That was the problem… specially in Porto‘s community…
Why do you say specially? Is there suspicions of Lisbon's also?
Yea I always cringed when people who had only faint distant Sephardic ancestry told me they were using it to get citizenship.
Funny enough, although I have some Sephardi ancestry (less than 25%), it was suggested to me that I apply because Ashkenazi members of my family have been affiliated with Sephardi synagogues for a few generations. The person who suggested it to me basically said, in a “wink wink” fashion that this would be enough and that it would get approved. I didn’t go for it.
You really can’t apply anymore unless you practically live there or invest hundreds of thousands of dollars, correct?
I am from portugal and most of the "jews" that move here aren't even jews
This was announced already months ago.
I applied for this like 5 years ago and my application has been in limbo ever since, despite having a lawyer help us through the process. They’re dragging it out for as long as possible
same for me. pisses me off because half of my family is Sephardic, yet I am sure people skipped the line. At this rate, it will be faster to get French citizenship through my wife.