London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Jun 01, 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

0:00
0:00
Close
Hegseth Warns of Potential Chinese Military Action Against Taiwan
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Jamie Dimon Warns U.S. Bond Market Faces Pressure from Rising Debt
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Taylor Swift Gains Ownership of Her First Six Albums
Bangkok Ranked World's Top City for Remote Work in 2025
Satirical Sketch Sparks Political Spouse Feud in South Korea
Indonesia Quarry Collapse Leaves Multiple Dead and Missing
South Korean Election Video Pulled Amid Misogyny Outcry
Asian Economies Shift Away from US Dollar Amid Trade Tensions
Netflix Investigates Allegations of On-Set Mistreatment in K-Drama Production
US Defence Chief Reaffirms Strong Ties with Singapore Amid Regional Tensions
Vietnam Faces Strategic Dilemma Over China's Mekong River Projects
Malaysia's First AI Preacher Sparks Debate on Islamic Principles
White House Press Secretary Criticizes Harvard Funding, Advocates for Vocational Training
France to Implement Nationwide Smoking Ban in Outdoor Spaces Frequented by Children
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
Russia's Fossil Fuel Revenues Approach €900 Billion Since Ukraine Invasion
U.S. Justice Department Reduces American Bar Association's Role in Judicial Nominations
U.S. Department of Energy Unveils 'Doudna' Supercomputer to Advance AI Research
U.S. SEC Dismisses Lawsuit Against Binance Amid Regulatory Shift
Alcohol Industry Faces Increased Scrutiny Amid Health Concerns
Italy Faces Population Decline Amid Youth Emigration
U.S. Goods Imports Plunge Nearly 20% Amid Tariff Disruptions
OpenAI Faces Competition from Cheaper AI Rivals
Foreign Tax Provision in U.S. Budget Bill Alarms Investors
Trump Accuses China of Violating Trade Agreement
Gerry Adams Wins Libel Case Against BBC
Russia Accuses Serbia of Supplying Arms to Ukraine
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
Chinese Woman Dies After Being Forced to Visit Bank Despite Critical Illness
President Trump Grants Full Pardons to Reality TV Stars Todd and Julie Chrisley
Texas Enacts App Store Accountability Act Mandating Age Verification
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Vatican Calls for Sustainable Tourism in 2025 Message
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Trump Threatens 25% Tariff on iPhones Amid Dispute with Apple CEO
Putin's Helicopter Reportedly Targeted by Ukrainian Drones
Liverpool Car Ramming Incident Leaves Multiple Injured
Australia Faces Immigration Debate Following Labor Party Victory
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
Macron Dismisses Viral Video of Wife's Gesture as Playful Banter
Cleveland Clinic Study Questions Effectiveness of Recent Flu Vaccine
Netanyahu Accuses Starmer of Siding with Hamas
Junior Doctors Threaten Strike Over 4% Pay Offer
×