Yoram Zara explains why and how can Sephardic Jews obtain Portuguese citizenship

In the global world in which we live today, I assume that we, as Israelis, appreciate the great advantage of holding a European passport. Such an opportunity was opened to Israelis who wanted such citizenship through the Portuguese route. Portuguese citizenship, I host in the studio one of the most prominent figures in the field. Hello lawyer Yoram Zara. Hello. You’ve been dealing with Portuguese passports for a long time and I want to ask you first what exactly happened there in Portugal, that they really want us to get citizenship from them? Look, about three years ago Portugal and Spain as well legislated laws that intended, among other things, to correct an historical injustice of five hundred years the expulsion of Jews from Spain and Portugal. The arrangement in Portugal is relatively convenient, certainly to the alternative in Spain, and it is also part of a liberal immigration policy in Portugal, which wants to encourage young quality immigration. In other words, the Portuguese are opening their gates because they really assume that the average Israeli will move to Portugal? First of all, it is not necessarily Israelis. These are Jews, descendants of the deportees. Sephardic Jews. Jews whose families had in recent centuries arrived from Morocco, Turkey, North Africa, and the former Ottoman Empire. Ok, it’s interesting what you’re saying here. It’s not that I need to know that my parents were expelled themselves. First you should identify where they come from … Apparently from there you can find some sort of connection. True, look, this is not about proving, as in a criminal case, beyond reasonable doubt, that you are the offspring of someone who lived in a certain city in Portugal five hundred years ago. If that was the demand then it would be a very small group of people that could get the citizenship. If your family comes from countries and communities known to be communities of deportees, and these communities are known. They know, Morocco and Turkey are the most prominent ones and there are more around the Mediterranean basin, so it is presumed that you are a descendant of the deportees and in the eyes of the law – that is enough. In the eyes of Portuguese law. Right. And tell me how common is this phenomenon? How much … How busy are you with Israelis who want this passport? So I say this: Look, there is … First of all there are public data that the Portuguese government publishes at the end of every year regarding the numbers, and by the end of 2017, applications had been submitted from some 12,000 people and about 2,100 received citizenship. And it was actually a little late for the Israelis to board the train. Those who were first and foremost to recognize this opportunity was the small community in Turkey, which is also very aware of the importance of a foreign passport and may also be a bit concerned about its future in the country. So out of the 2,100, over 1000 are Turks, they are Turkish citizens. Israelis, by the end of 2017, we are talking about something like 550 who received citizenship. From my acquaintance with the customers and with the market, I think that in 2017 the Israelis already understood that there is a real opportunity here and the numbers have grown tremendously. I believe that in the coming years Israelis will be the largest group receiving citizenship. Interesting. I would be happy if, for that matter, you would tell us de facto what an Israeli who is ultimately holding such a passport would earn. Do you know when you come to the checkout at the supermarket and are asked if you have a club card? So Portuguese citizenship, European citizenship is a club card to the Western world, to the developed world. It allows you to live, study and work in all EU countries. This allows a much simpler access and not with the visa we know for the US. Traveling abroad, for those who travel a lot, it’s more simple. In the European Union you do not stand in the usual queue, you pass through using biometric. Entry into countries that Israelis may find difficult to enter. And, you know, the usual answer I get from Israelis is “Better to have it” … “Better to have it. ”

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