(JNS.org) Spain’s Chamber of Deputies on Thursday, June 11, approved a law aimed at granting citizenship to descendants of Sephardic Jews who were expelled during the Spanish Inquisition. According to the law, the applicants would first need to prove their Sephardic background through either their local Jewish community or a direct family link. Authorities may also accept applicants with a Sephardic surname or the ability to speak Ladino, the Spanish-Hebrew hybrid language. Next, the applicants would need to show a special connection to Spain such as speaking Spanish, in addition to taking a basic test about the country. The law is scheduled to take effect in October. Sephardic Jews in countries such as Venezuela and Turkey, who have faced rising levels of antisemitism in recent years, are seen as among those who are likely to apply for Spanish citizenship.