127,000 Sephardi Jews apply for Spanish citizenship following 15th Century expulsion amends

Spain confirmed that it had received more than 127,000 applications from Sephardi Jews for citizenship, following a 2015 law that attempts to make amends for the expulsion of Jews from the country in the 15th Century.

Spain's Catholic monarchs forced Jews in the country to convert or be expelled during the Medieval era. In a 2015 attempt to make up for the expulsions, the Spanish government announced a system that would allow those who could prove a family connection to Medieval Spain and their Sephardi origins, Spanish nationality.

The highest number of applications came from Mexico, followed by Venezuela and Colombia.

The BBC reports that there are estimated to be at least two million Sephardi diaspora Jews worldwide.

"The fact that King Felipe of Spain tells us face to face how much they wronged us, and that we are welcome home - this is something that heals, or seeks to repair the harm caused by a historical injustice," one man told AFP.

See more from the BBC here.

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