Israelis applying for French citizenship skyrocketed after November elections

Source: Schengen Visa Info

Following the November elections, which saw the installation of the country's most right-wing and religious government to date, the French embassy in Israel saw a 13 percent increase in applications for citizenship.

According to Zaman Israel, the total number of applications recorded in October increased to 1,365 in November, with December data expected to be even higher. According to the French Embassy in Israel, nearly 60% of those applying for citizenship are doing so for the first time. According to SchengenVisaInfo.com, this is the highest rate of Israelis seeking French citizenship ever recorded.

According to a source, applications for French citizenship among Israelis have increased by nearly 45 percent compared to last year, with this figure likely to rise if the COVID-19 pandemic had not occurred in 2021.

However, the demand for foreign citizenship among Israelis has been observed in other EU countries, particularly Portugal. According to Dror Hayek, owner of a law firm specializing in obtaining Portuguese citizenship, the Portuguese authorities have seen a 68 percent increase in such applications. In October, a total of 100 applications were filed, rising to 168 the following month.

He also stated that the number of applications increased sixfold the day after the election, with nearly 115 applications filed in December.

Since 2013, descendants of Sephardic Jews have been eligible for naturalization in Portugal, thanks to legislation passed to welcome back those subjected to the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal during the 16th century. Thousands of Jews were forced to emigrate or conceal their Jewish identity during this time period.

However, due to a controversy surrounding how Jewish Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich obtained Portuguese citizenship, the government suspended the law and authorities are only processing past applications.

"From April to September, there was a mad rush for Portuguese passports so that they could be issued before the law changed. Since September, we have focused solely on promoting old applications and granting citizenship to spouses and children," Hayek explained.

On the other hand, according to Toti Eschbel, a lawyer specializing in European citizenship, the number of applications for German citizenship has increased by 10% in the last two months. Similarly, experts in the field report a 10% increase in applications for Polish citizenship, while the Romanian embassy claims no noticeable increases have been recorded, but rates for Romanian citizenship have always been high due to a significant number of Israelis of Romanian origin with rights to Romanian citizenship.