As the war on Gaza continues into its 11th month, Israeli citizens are reportedly fleeing to Europe—mainly Portugal—by taking advantage of “refugee status” that sees them indefinitely clothed, fed, and housed by the Portuguese taxpayer.
- Portugal’s asylum application process has made it an attractive choice for Israelis seeking to flee the financially devastated and increasingly dangerous Israeli state.
- The process allows Jewish applicants to quickly obtain work permits, education, healthcare, and potential government support, all completely funded by taxpayers.
- Immigration lawyers in Portugal have reported a flood of requests from Israeli Jews for this special refugee status since the events of October 7.
Zooming in: According to reports, the steps outlined for Jews to obtain Portuguese citizenship are straightforward and allow for seemingly unlimited chances to re-apply if denied.
- Applicants first declare their intention to “seek asylum” upon arrival at an airport or an immigration office. Then, they fill out biometric data.
- An interview is then scheduled within 6-9 months to determine the application’s outcome. In the meantime, Israeli citizens can benefit from temporary rights and financial support, including free housing, medical support, and other handouts.
- If an asylum application is denied, reports state that Jewish applicants can extend their temporary visa every two months and stay indefinitely as a privileged visitor.
Zooming out: Portugal has a history of doling out special treatment to Jews abroad.
- Long before October 7th, the Iberian nation enshrined open-door reimmigration laws that allowed for “tens of thousands” of Sephardic Jews to return to Portugal under the stipulation that they add to Sephardic culture and customs once they arrive.
- Wealthy Israeli billionaire Roman Abramovich is said to have used those same laws to obtain Portuguese citizenship in 2022.
In the headlines: The trend of Israeli Jews uprooting themselves for perceived greener pastures in Europe comes as the state of Israel continues to face challenges in the region.
- Since October 7th, Israel has experienced financial woes as it tries to prosecute its war on Hamas, which has reportedly cost billions. Retaliatory strikes by resistance groups in Lebanon, Yemen, Palestine, and Iran have eroded tourism and destroyed business.
- Just this week, a bombshell report by the Jewish newspaper Haaretz revealed that Israeli Defense Forces were deploying Palestinian civilians as cannon fodder to inspect and clear tunnels of boobytraps and mines.
- Earlier in the month, at least 100 people—including 11 children and six women—were killed in an Israeli airstrike that targeted a school in central Gaza.
- In July, it was revealed that groups of hyper-Zionist Israelis were being subsidized by private donors from the US to physically block trucks of humanitarian aid from reaching starving and destitute Palestinians in Gaza.
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