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Migrant Who Won €250k Lotto Prize Money Can’t Claim It Because He Is Undocumented
Authorities have promised not to deport him until he claims his winnings.
An Algerian migrant is currently struggling to claim his winnings of €250,000 on a Scratchcard in Belgium because he’s “undocumented.” The winning is huge to be handed over in cash, and his friend, who had tried to claim the cash on his behalf, got briefly detained on suspicion of theft.
The man’s friend had the correct papers and had headed to the lottery headquarters in Brussels to collect the money won on a €5 Scratchcard.
But unfortunately, he and two others got detained by Police as they suspected they had stolen the Scratchcard. When the winner was reached to explain the situation, they were released. As of this time of writing, the winning card is held by a court in Bruges, near the port of Zeebrugge, where it was initially bought.
The winner [name withheld], aged 28, has no valid identity papers or a permanent address. As a result, he’s unable to open a bank account for the prize to be transferred into.
According to Belgian broadcaster VRT, the man had traveled through Spain and France on foot before reaching Belgium. He reportedly explained that he planned to travel to the UK but had decided to settle in Belgium and start a family with his winnings. His lawyer, Alexander Verstraete, has shared that the lottery firm will not make the payment as the unnamed winner doesn’t have a bank account. He added that authorities have claimed they will not deport the man until he has received his prize money.
