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The Inquisição (Portuguese Inquisition, 1536-1821) was the persecution that expelled Sephardic Jews from Portugal, whose descendants are eligible for Portuguese citizenship.
In depth
The Inquisição (Portuguese Inquisition) was established in 1536 and formally abolished in 1821. During its nearly 300-year existence, it persecuted Sephardic Jews, conversos (converted Jews), and other 'heretics,' leading to mass emigration of Sephardic Jews to the Netherlands, Brazil, the Ottoman Empire, and North Africa.
The Portuguese Inquisition's persecution of Sephardic Jews is the historical basis for the modern Portuguese Sephardic citizenship path — descendants of those expelled or persecuted can claim Portuguese citizenship.
Sephardic communities in Amsterdam, London, Curaçao, Suriname, Brazil, Morocco, Turkey, and Greece maintained their Portuguese-Jewish traditions and language (Ladino, a Judeo-Spanish language) for centuries.
Related terms
Sephardic citizenship is the Portuguese (and formerly Spanish) path to citizenship for descendants of Sephardic Jews expelled during the Inquisition.
The Ley de Memoria Democrática (Democratic Memory Law, 2022) is the Spanish law that opened citizenship to descendants of Civil War and Franco-era exiles.
The Ley de Memoria Histórica (Historical Memory Law, 2007) was the predecessor Spanish law granting citizenship to descendants of Civil War exiles, replaced by the 2022 Democratic Memory Law.
The Registro Civil is the civil registry in Spain and Latin American countries that maintains records of births, marriages, and deaths.
The Ministerio de Justicia (Ministry of Justice) is the Spanish government ministry that processes citizenship applications under the Memory Law.
The Comunidade Israelita (Jewish Community) of Lisbon or Porto issues the certificates of Sephardic ancestry required for Portuguese citizenship applications.