Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Portugal to change law under which Roman Abramovich gained citizenship

Portugal to change law under which Roman Abramovich gained citizenship

Government says it will modify legislation giving nationality to descendants of expelled Jews to prevent it being ‘manipulated’
The Portuguese government is to tighten the law granting nationality to the descendants of Jews who were expelled from the Iberian peninsula 500 years ago, as concerns grow over the controversial decision to award Roman Abramovich citizenship because of his apparent Sephardic Jewish heritage.

The Russian oligarch and Chelsea FC owner, who is now subject to UK and EU sanctions because of his ties to Vladimir Putin, was granted Portuguese citizenship last year under a 2015 law designed to make amends for the mass banishments at the end of the 15th century.

On Wednesday, however, the Portuguese government said it had decided to modify the nationality-by-descent law to prevent the legislation being “manipulated”.

The move comes as the Portuguese prosecutor’s office investigates how Abramovich was awarded his citizenship, and days after the rabbi who certified the oligarch’s Sephardic descent was arrested in the city of Oporto.

The foreign minister, Augusto Santos Silva, said a new decree would introduce “a requirement for [applicants to demonstrate an] effective connection with Portugal”.

According to Portugal’s Público newspaper, the proposed changes to the law could require applicants to provide proof of a material connection to the country, such as evidence of visits or inherited property there.

Last December, the Russian opposition leader, Alexei Navalny, hit out at Portugal’s decision to grant citizenship to Abramovich, describing him as “the closest oligarch to Putin and one of his wallets”. “He finally managed to find a country where you can give some bribes and make some semi-official and official payments to end up in the EU and Nato – on the other side of Putin’s frontline, so to speak.”

Santos Silva described Navalny’s criticism as “profoundly unfair” and said “the idea that Portuguese civil servants carry suitcases of money is insulting”.

Daniel Litvak, the chief rabbi of the Jewish Community of Oporto, was arrested last week and is understood to be under investigation for the alleged offences of “influence peddling, active corruption, document forgery, money laundering, qualified tax fraud and criminal association”.

Meanwhile, a separate inquiry into the use of the citizenship law has already led to the start of disciplinary proceedings against employees at Portugal’s Institute of Registries and Notary, which provides nationality and passport services.

In a statement, the Jewish community of Oporto said: “As soon as Jewish communities start making their mark in European territory, the influential antisemites in society will attempt to destroy Jewish life bit by bit, synagogue by synagogue, organisation by organisation, using the same methods once employed in the Soviet Union.”

It described the allegations against Litvak as “unbelievable anonymous denunciations” and said that while it had received the sum of €250 from Abramovich, it had “worked in full transparency and maintained rigorous and honest standards” while evaluating Sephardic ancestries.

The community also said it was no longer interested in collaborating with the Portuguese state in certifying people as Sephardic Jews. It declined to comment on whether the oligarch was a direct or indirect benefactor of the community, whether it remained confident about Abramovich’s certification, or whether it was reviewing the decision.

According to a document on its website, “certificates may be annulled if it comes to the committee’s notice that false documents were used in the certification process”.

The community’s website says the “overwhelming majority” of the certificates issued have been granted to descendants from traditional Sephardic families who have lived for centuries in the Balkans, the Middle East and north Africa. To date, almost 57,000 people have been granted Portuguese nationality under the 2015 law.

A similar but more stringent Spanish law, which was introduced a year earlier, requires proof of ties to Spain as well as taking a language and culture test. It attracted more than 132,000 applications before the deadline of 1 October 2019.

Spain’s Federation of Jewish Communities, which certifies applications, said it had received petitions from Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, the US, Israel, Panama, Ecuador, Brazil, Turkey, France, the UK, Serbia and Montenegro, Peru, Chile, Morocco and Afghanistan.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Trump Backs Putin’s Land-for-Peace Proposal Amid Kyiv’s Rejection
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
United States Sells Luxury Yacht Amadea, Valued at Approximately $325 Million, in First Sale of a Seized Russian Yacht Since the Invasion of Ukraine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
×