Portugal will make it harder for Sephardic Jews to obtain citizenship and easier for immigrants to do so.
A new law that will change the procedures for obtaining a passport from Portugal is about to be put into effect. This law will make it more difficult for Sephardic Jews and some other communities to become citizens of Portugal. On the other hand, the bill intends to make it easier for immigrants who are currently residents of Portugal to become citizens.
President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa sought the opinion of the Constitutional Court to ensure the legitimacy of these legal modifications. The court judged the alterations lawful, thereby approving the new law.
Jews of Sephardic descent with links to Spain and Portugal used to have an easier time becoming citizens of Portugal. But the new law has more stringent requirements. Potential Citizens of Sephardic Jewish descent are required to provide proof of their three-year minimum legal residency in Portugal. In addition, applicants who submit an application after September 1, 2022, must demonstrate a strong relationship with Portugal, either by regular trips or by having a valid residency visa for more than a year.
Some people disagree with the government’s assessment of the need for these adjustments, claiming it is unjust to tighten regulations after someone has applied for citizenship. Immigrants in the nation, on the other hand, applaud the new laws. Before, obtaining Portuguese citizenship required five years of lawful residency. The period spent waiting for a residence permit is now taken into account in the amended criteria, which speeds up the citizenship process for some applicants.
Juliet Cristino, who represents immigrants in Portugal, expressed her happiness with the looser regulations, pointing out that it is unfair to force immigrants to wait long periods for residency permits without taking that time into account when determining their eligibility for citizenship.
The law will likely need to be approved by the Portuguese President before it can be formally implemented. The administration is anticipated to release further information on this subject shortly.
