A Nigerian man who won €500,000 on an Italian scratchcard but was unable to access the money due to his undocumented status has finally been granted permission to remain in Italy, in a case that exposed the bureaucratic limbo facing migrants without legal residency.
Imagbe Ehizomwengie, 36, bought the winning €5 Gratta e Vinci ticket using money he had earned selling handkerchiefs and begging outside a supermarket. He broke down in tears of joy and relief upon discovering his win, but his happiness was short-lived once he discovered he had no way of claiming the prize.
This week, a tribunal in Ancona ruled that Ehizomwengie should be granted a residency permit. “I’ve been praying for this moment ever since I arrived in Italy,” he said. “It’s a huge relief. You might think it’s incredible, but receiving the permit means more to me than winning the money.”
His journey to Italy was marked by years of hardship. According to Italian newspaper Il Resto del Carlino, he left Nigeria after his mother urged him to escape obligations connected to a secret society run by his father. He crossed the Sahara before being captured and held in Libya for approximately two years until a ransom secured his release. He eventually crossed the Mediterranean by boat, arriving in Palermo in the summer of 2016, before being transferred to the Marche region. His application for “special protection” status was rejected by immigration officials in Pesaro — a category of permit that had previously offered residency to asylum seekers facing serious danger if returned home, but which was significantly curtailed by Giorgia Meloni’s government in 2023.
Without valid documentation, Ehizomwengie found himself caught in a catch-22. He could not open a bank account to receive his winnings, yet without access to those funds he lacked the financial independence that could have strengthened his residency application. Desperate, he handed the money to a fellow Nigerian he considered a friend, only for that person to begin spending the winnings as though they were his own. The situation was eventually resolved through the intervention of others in the local Nigerian community and Ehizomwengie’s cousin, with around €250,000 transferred to the cousin’s account to keep the funds within the family. That money was then used to purchase Mama Africa, an African food shop in the coastal town of Falconara Marittima.
The Ancona tribunal based its decision on Ehizomwengie’s strong command of Italian, his integration into local society, his employment at Mama Africa, and his clean criminal record. His lawyer, Andrea Palazzeschi, was careful to stress that the lottery win itself was not the deciding factor. “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,” he said.
Ehizomwengie has become something of a local celebrity in Falconara, where he plans to hold a party for the community — though he was keen to clarify its purpose. “But only to celebrate receiving my permit,” he said. “I want to work and intend to keep my feet firmly on the ground. I just want to live a normal life.”
