According to expert genealogists, approximately 21,000 regional residents could access European citizenship thanks to the Portuguese law of reparation enacted since 2015.
The people who can obtain citizenship would be descendants of Sephardic Jews, who were expelled from Spain and Portugal at the end of the 15th century and who arrived in New Leon in 1570.
In case of verifying the ancestry of the persons, they could access all the benefits of having a European passport, preserving their Mexican nationality.
The law of reparation, which was also enacted in a very similar way by Spain, dictates that any person who demonstrates their genealogical connection with Sephardic Jews expelled from Portugal or Spain, has the right to obtain Portuguese citizenship, valid in all countries of the territory european.
It is not necessary to demonstrate current connections with Portugal or Spain, Portuguese knowledge, but it is crucial to obtain the certificate of Sephardic ancestry from the Israeli Community; this document is processed presenting a genealogical study that understands the sephardic lineage.
The legal process to obtain citizenship will be simple, they say. According to Renato Martins, expert lawyer at Martins Castro Consultoría Internacional, the legal process is straightforward if it is handled by expert advice, and it is not necessary to travel to Portugal to complete the process.
“With the correct advice, any person of Sephardic descent can complete the required legal process. If someone believes they have knowledge of this type of lineage in their family, they can start with an initial genealogical inquiry to analyze whether there is potential to continue the process.
“Unlike what many people think, it is not a costly process nor is it out of reach for common people, and it lasts for a total of around 18 months.”, says Martins.
In the morning, June 16th, Renato Martins and the team of experts from Martins Castro will be in Monterrey, and will offer a free talk at the Four Points by Sheraton – Galerías Monterrey hotel, at 6 pm.
With information from ABC Noticias