Israeli soldiers escape into Portugal

The Israelis decided to make this offer and follow a fairly simple procedure, as the average time required to obtain initial approval reached one day. Just.
The Israelis took advantage of Portugal facilitating the opportunity for them to apply for asylum in light of the continued Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, as a large number of Israelis submitted asylum applications, where the Israelis will obtain permission to remain in Portugal for several months, work legally and even obtain government assistance, according to the “Israelis” website. Israel wins.
It is noteworthy that about two months ago, the Portuguese newspaper “Mako” published that Portugal was opening its doors to Israeli asylum seekers, in a decision stating that after the war, Israelis who arrive in Portugal will be able to apply for asylum and request a visa as a refugee for nothing, and this is a similar procedure. This is what Portugal has applied to tens of thousands of Ukrainians who have been absorbed into the country's territory since the war in Ukraine, and since then, it seems, many requests have been submitted.
Yaron, who applied for asylum in Portugal and currently lives in Lisbon, says: “I went to the immigration offices. One of the employees approached me and told her that I went to apply for a refugee visa. She asked me, ‘Are you from Israel?’” So I said yes, he told me there was no problem and brought me some forms, and lo and behold, within an hour and a half, I got this paper, which gives me a residence and work permit for two months, and it must be renewed every two months until a decision is made on the matter.”
Regarding his choice of Portugal, he explains: “It is a very easy country to immigrate to: one arrives, one gives one's passport, one gets a work and residence permit, it really feels like a time-limited process, as long as the war lasts, and that's why I chose this visa: because you need Only a valid Israeli passport.”
Nofar Bar, an Israeli lawyer working in Portugal, revealed that not many Israelis have applied for asylum in Portugal, but this has become common and acceptable at the present time in light of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, but if the situation changes, Portugal will change its dealings with the Israelis and reduce their asylum.
He continued: “A number of Israeli families came with only travel bags, and some of them were attending festivals in southern Israel on October 7, to travel to Portugal. A number of young people quickly obtained job and residency opportunities in Portugal, which qualifies them to move to the rest of Europe.”
He continued: “They say that in practice, applying for a visa is not complicated, and in the initial stage, unlike Israeli citizenship, there is no other requirement. All you have to do is bring a valid passport and you have nothing to prove. You have to You go to the immigration offices and say: I'm coming from Israel and I'm asking for asylum. There, they ask you to fill out forms, and sometimes they also give you a leaflet explaining your rights and obligations. They then take your biometric fingerprints and a frontal photograph. In the end, they give you an asylum approval page, which is also a work permit. From her perspective, the process took one day.”
He continued: “During the subsequent stage, they may request proof of eviction from your residence in Israel or other circumstances that could strengthen the asylum request, according to Bar. “The application can become a residence permit after a period of between six and nine months, depending on the asylum application, which is valid for three years.”
He continued: “However, I do not advise those who succeed to trust this. “I recommend that you immediately try to find a job here or work on converting that visa to another visa, because of the uncertainty.” “It also indicates, as another way to stay in the country, that tourist visas have been automatically extended for all tourists in Portugal until June 2024.”
Matan Sion, 38, from Haifa, leader of the international circles of Hebrew-speaking men in Israel and around the world, also traveled to Portugal to participate in the war to apply for a refugee visa. “I left the country very quickly. I was looking for myself, I saw the article and realized that there is such a possibility in Portugal, I saw videos of lawyers explaining how to get a visa, and at first some said that I had to wait seven days at the airport, and maybe they would host me in a refugee shelter, Sion says: “All Types of intimidation.
Despite the concerns, Sion decided to go to Lisbon airport and try his luck. “I decided to go and I still don't know how I'm going to finish. At the airport, they told me to go to an appointment the next day at ten in the morning, at their offices.” At four in the afternoon, he had already received a refugee visa. They asked me if I was looking for a place to live and if I had something to eat, so I told them I was fine for now.
He continued: “They asked me to go to a refugee center to meet a social worker who would give me all the information I needed. I called the refugee center, waited 30 days for an appointment and went there. They helped me a lot and gave me the medicine and medical care I needed completely free of charge. They also provided a psychiatrist and free Portuguese lessons.”
Contrary to Bar's interpretation and the experience of Yaron and others, Sion claims that he received a refugee visa and not just a visa application: “They explained to me that in about a year, I would know if I would get a five-year visa. “It's a refugee visa, valid for all purposes, and you don't need to wait for an interview,” he says. “They did not ask me to renew this visa, quite the opposite: when I asked how and when I would renew it, they told me that it is valid until June 2024.”
Hayal Roulotte's family organizes, cooks and feeds soldiers on the Gaza border. There are many reservists and they do not have funding agencies