Ames, its so interesting what an outsider perspective of Sephardim is.
I was always under the impression that sephardim were much more machmir in many areas (especially taharat hamishpacha) even if they weren’t shomer shabbat. Or they would drive to shul, but pray fervently….and the only women I know who wear a sheitel are the ashkenazi women who married sephardim.
Most of the sephardi women I know are VERY observant, much more so than ashkenazim.
If you get an answer regarding the minhag hamakom, I would be very curious. On the one hand, if they are shomer shabbat and shomer kashrut, I would expect them to be considered in the minhag hamakom. Why? I don’t know…I guess because everyone is lax in halacha in some areas…