Nigerian man unable to claim Italian lottery win gains residency permit
Former street seller celebrates newfound rights after debacle in claiming €500,000 scratchcard prize while undocumented
TL;DR
- Imagbe Ehizomwengie, a Nigerian man, won €500,000 in an Italian lottery but could not claim the prize as he was undocumented.
- He arrived in Italy in 2016 after a perilous journey and had been living as a street seller.
- His request for a "special protection" permit was rejected by the Italian government.
- Ehizomwengie used a portion of his winnings, with help from others after being taken advantage of by a friend, to buy a shop named Mama Africa.
- A court in Ancona ordered that a residence permit be issued, considering his language skills, work at the shop, and financial independence.
- Ehizomwengie stated that receiving the permit means more to him than the lottery money, and he desires to work and live a normal life.