Portugal speeded up citizenship for Hamas hostage
- Valerie Charoux
- Oct 25, 2023
- 1 min read
Portugal Israel news - Portugal speeded up the citizenship process for a Hamas hostage and awarded it to him on October 24th. The Hamas hostage was kidnapped during the October 7th attacks by Hamas and was taken to the Gaza Strip with two minor children.
Portugal’s Government accelerated the citizenship procedures in view of the emergency situation. Portugal’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Cravinho, stated that, given the circumstances, there was great urgency to accelerate the process. Portugal’s Justice Minister has worked on the case individually since it is the hallmark of the Ministry of Justice to protect the fundamental rights of citizens.
The Hamas hostage, Ofer Calderon, had already applied for Portuguese nationality in 2021 under the law of return of Sephardic Jews. He now has dual nationality and could benefit from a possible agreement for the release of hostages who are not exclusively Israelis.
Among the hostages held by Hamas, there may be four Portuguese citizens since they are missing. It is believed that they are Hamas hostages, and their families are anxious about their release.
