All foreigners who registered with Social Security before June 3 and are contributing will be able to regularize their situation, if the proposal is approved.
At least two initiatives that are in Parliament will decide on the direction of immigration in the country, especially for those who are in Portugal without the possibility of regularizing their status.In addition to the decree of parliamentary consideration of the change in the law, proposed by the PS, there is a new bill from the Liberal Initiative (IL) that could be an alternative for foreigners “caught off guard” with theend of expression of interest.
According to confirmed media reports, the initiative aims to provide the possibility of regularization to all those who registered with Social Security before June 4th, the date on which the end of the mechanism for expressions of interest came into force. Although it is not clear in the document, the party assured DN that there is no minimum contribution period. “There is no minimum. People also did not know that the law was going to change”, they stressed.
In other words, all foreigners who registered with Social Security before June 3 and are contributing will be able to regularize their situation, if the proposal is approved. A few weeks ago,the Social Security system has made it impossiblerequest registration without having a prior visa, as a way of blocking regularization as was the case until then. The project is exclusively for those who obtained the NISS until June 3, with no possibility for those who tried after this date.
IL believes that it is unfair to those who moved to Portugal to work, “already integrated and established in the Portuguese social and economic fabric”, the party stresses. “This bill aims to adapt the Government’s legislation, ensuring that people who have already regularised their social security situation do not see their legitimate expectations frustrated, in light of the principle of protection of trust”, the bill reads.
Voting in September
The proposal will only be voted on in mid-September, when Parliament resumes its activities after the holidays. IL, a party with eight members of parliament, needs the support of smaller parties for the measure to be approved. Without the votes of Chega and with insufficient votes from Bloco, PCP and Livre, in order to obtain approval it will be necessary to seek votes on the right, with the PSD or on the left, with the PS.
PS sources told the newspaper that there is a possibility of voting in favor of the measure, which would put an end to the uncertainty of many immigrants who are currently in an irregular situation. In addition, inspections are underway on immigrants throughout the country, with a view to detecting those who do not have the necessary documentation to be in Portugal.
At the same time, the Socialist Party itself had already admitted in Parliament that a “transitional regime” is necessary for people who did not apply for residency in time. The Socialists also distanced themselves from the idea of returning to the previous regime, something sought, for example, by the Left Bloc, which tried to approve a similar measure, but without success.