An undocumented Nigerian man who won €500,000 in an Italian lottery but could not claim the prize has been granted a residency permit after a court ruling. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing The Guardian.
Imagbe Ehizomwengie, 36, won €500,000 in Italy's "Gratta e Vinci" scratchcard lottery but was barred from collecting his winnings due to his undocumented status. He said the hardship of his more than decade-long immigration journey had been eased after he was finally granted a residency permit.
"I've been praying for this moment ever since I arrived in Italy," said Ehizomwengie. "It's a huge relief. You might think it's incredible, but receiving the permit means more to me than winning the money. I want to work and contribute to society."
He bought the €5 scratchcard last October with money scraped together from selling handkerchiefs and begging outside a supermarket in Turin. He cried tears of joy when he discovered he had hit the jackpot, only for the win to be overshadowed by bureaucratic quagmire.
Ehizomwengie arrived in Italy in 2016 after a treacherous journey across the Mediterranean from Libya, where he had been held captive for two years and was only released after a ransom was paid. His request for a "special protection" permit was rejected.
Unable to work, he got by as a street seller, occasionally chancing his luck with scratchcards. "When I lived in Nigeria, I was always praying for opportunities, but they never came," he said. "But you also need to take risks in life, and I kept believing that one day I might even become a millionaire."
Without a residency permit, he could not open a bank account to receive the money. In turn, without the money he could not demonstrate the financial independence needed to support his renewed appeal for a residency permit. After being taken advantage of by a Nigerian friend, the friend agreed to transfer about half of the post-tax winnings to Ehizomwengie's cousin's account. The funds were then used to buy Mama Africa, a shop selling African food produce in Falconara.
His lawyer, Andrea Palazzeschi, pursued his case through a court in Ancona, which this week ordered that a residence permit be issued, considering Ehizomwengie's competent Italian, his work at Mama Africa, and his new financial independence.
Palazzeschi said: "But it's important to stress that Imagbe didn't get the residence permit because he won the money, he got it because he proved to be a good candidate."
Gratta e Vinci scratchcards are hugely popular in Italy. In 2019, an unemployed fisher in Puglia found a winning €100,000 scratchcard in a rubbish bin and was able to cash it in, while in 2022 a young man in northern Italy won €500,000 and fainted on the spot due to the shock.
Ehizomwengie has attracted much attention in Falconara, where he said he would organise a party to celebrate receiving his permit. "I want to work and intend to keep my feet firmly on the ground. I just want to live a normal life," he said.