PORTUGUESE CITIZENSHIP APPROVED FOR DESCENDENTS OF
EXPELLED PORTUGUESE JEWS
April 12, 2013
The Portuguese Parliament today
approved unanimously Portuguese
nationality to the descendants of
Sephardic Jews expelled from Portugal in the fifteenth century. The motions
were proposed by the PS (socialist party) and CDS-PP (centre-right parties).
The motions by the PS and CDS-PP, both approved unanimously, provide for the attribution of Portuguese nationality by naturalization of the descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews who demonstrate, "a tradition of belonging to a community of Sephardic Portuguese origin, based on objective requirements proving linkage to Portugal, including nicknames, family names, direct or indirect descendants. "
Sephardic Jews are descendants of traditional Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Sefarad).
Targets of persecution in Spain, these communities took refuge in Portugal in the fifteenth century, where a law promulgated by King Manuel guaranteed them protection, a situation that changed in 1496 when the same king ordered the expulsion of all Sephardic Jews who did not submit to Catholic baptism.
Netherlands, the UK, North Africa and later Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and United States were the main destinations of these Jews, where even today there are descendants of communities expelled from Portugal.
The motions by the PS and CDS-PP, both approved unanimously, provide for the attribution of Portuguese nationality by naturalization of the descendants of Portuguese Sephardic Jews who demonstrate, "a tradition of belonging to a community of Sephardic Portuguese origin, based on objective requirements proving linkage to Portugal, including nicknames, family names, direct or indirect descendants. "
Sephardic Jews are descendants of traditional Jewish communities of the Iberian Peninsula (Sefarad).
Targets of persecution in Spain, these communities took refuge in Portugal in the fifteenth century, where a law promulgated by King Manuel guaranteed them protection, a situation that changed in 1496 when the same king ordered the expulsion of all Sephardic Jews who did not submit to Catholic baptism.
Netherlands, the UK, North Africa and later Brazil, Argentina, Mexico and United States were the main destinations of these Jews, where even today there are descendants of communities expelled from Portugal.
O Parlamento português aprovou hoje por unanimidade a
nacionalidade portuguesa para os descendentes dos judeus sefarditas expulsos de
Portugal a partir do século XV proposta em projectos do PS e CDS-PP.
Os projectos do PS e CDS-PP, ambos aprovados por
unanimidade, prevêem a atribuição da nacionalidade portuguesa por naturalização
aos descendentes de judeus sefarditas portugueses que demonstrem “tradição de
pertença a uma comunidade sefardita de origem portuguesa, com base em
requisitos objectivos comprovados de ligação a Portugal, designadamente
apelidos, idioma familiar, descendência directa ou colateral”.
Designam-se de judeus sefarditas os judeus descendentes das
tradicionais comunidades judaicas da Península Ibérica (Sefarad).
Alvos de perseguição em Espanha, estas comunidades
refugiaram-se em Portugal a partir do século XV, onde uma lei promulgada pelo
rei D. Manuel lhes garantia proteção, situação que se alterou em 1496 quando o
mesmo rei determinou a expulsão de todos os judeus sefarditas que não se
sujeitassem ao baptismo católico.
Holanda, Reino Unido, Norte de África e mais tarde Brasil,
Argentina, México e Estados Unidos da América foram os principais destinos
destes judeus, onde ainda hoje se encontram descendentes das comunidades
expulsas de Portugal.
