Press conference - Law granting Spanish nationality to Sephardic Jews originating in Spain

Law granting Spanish nationality to Sephardic Jews originating in Spain

Yael Macias

In 1492 the Jews were expelled from the kingdoms of Castile and Aragon and six years later from the kingdom of Navarre. Many of them settled in North Africa, Portugal, Italy and elsewhere around the Mediterranean and in Northern Europe. They all had something in common that lasted throughout the centuries: the memory of Sepharad. Most kept it in one way or another; in their language, their customs and traditions, their prayers, their names or simply the consciousness of their Sephardic identity. That memory has lasted 523 years.

 On June 11th the law granting Spanish nationality to Sephardic Jews originating from Spain was unanimously approved in the Spanish Parliament, a law that has been under discussion for some years. The next day the Ambassador of Spain in Israel held a press conference on the issue given the great interest that it had raised.

Ambassador Fernando Cardedera started his presentation to the media by making a brief historical introduction on the origins of this law. He pointed out that the law was not a spontaneous idea that came about in ​​the last two years, but the culmination of a process that had been brewing since the reign of Elizabeth II in the nineteenth century, when Jews were allowed for the first time to have a Jewish cemetery. This little effort to integrate Jewish life again in Spain was followed by several initiatives, some with a huge impact. The Ambassador also mentioned the law signed in 1924 that allowed many Jews of Sephardic origin to benefit from the protection of Spanish embassies and consulates. What was probably intended as a friendly gesture of reconciliation, ended up being the tool that saved many Jews from Nazi Europe during World War II.

Today, the issue of Sephardic Jews has resurfaced in Spain, this time with a law that will have a profound social and historical impact: all Sephardic descendants, regardless of religion or residence shall be entitled to apply for Spanish nationality by naturalization.

Spanish nationality shall be granted without the need to reside in Spain, and will not force the applicant to give up his or her other nationality (as it is usually the case). The applicant must meet two essential requirements: proof that the person is actually a Sephardic originating in Spain, and a special bond with modern Spain, either through culture, trade relations, language studies, etc. Each of these two requirements is quite extensive as to the different demands and official documents requested, and it is important to study them in depth before applying for citizenship.

The law will take effect on October 1^st, 2015, the date from which those interested may start sending online applications. The law will be in force for three years and one additional year subject to government approval, but the Ambassador insisted on one important aspect of the law: any person of Sephardic origin in an extraordinary or humanitarian situation will always be able to apply for Spanish nationality. Ambassador Cardedera did not want to speculate as to how many people will apply for citizenship from Israel, but the embassy and the Cervantes Institute are considering figures around several thousands.

There are still many unanswered questions about the specifications of this law; we will have to get closer to October 1^st in order to have a clearer idea of ​​what the real impact of this historic project will be.