Leitão Amaro says that "the time when people turn a blind eye to the lack of criminal records in immigrants' countries of origin is over", warning that immigration policy has changed and is regulated.
The Minister of the Presidency responded this Wednesday to the immigrants who demonstrated in Porto demanding “documents for everyone” with the phrase documents for “all those who comply with Portuguese law”.
Leitão Amaro was speaking after the Council of Ministers meeting, when asked about the demonstration that brought together dozens of immigrants this Wednesday at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) in Porto, to demand quick responses to requests for regularization, shouting slogans such as “documents for everyone, everyone, everyone” (in an allusion to a message from Pope Francis, who died on Monday).
“We have made the documentation processes move forward, while incorporating several security reinforcement and control measures, and we have responded to people who say 'we want all, all, all documents', (with) 'all those that comply with Portuguese law'”, replied the minister.
In the minister's words, the State responds to those who comply with the law with “speed and justice” .
“For those who do not comply with Portuguese law, the time has come to an end when people turned a blind eye to the lack of criminal records in their countries of origin, when they turned a blind eye to the need to collect biometric data. The time has come to disregard the rules. This is unfair to those who have made an effort to comply with the laws and it is unfair to all Portuguese people who comply with the laws in their daily lives,” said Leitão Amaro.
The minister said that the Government listened to those who expressed concern because the State was taking too long to respond to their requests and reacted, just as it listened to those who were concerned “because for too long there was a lack of control over immigration policy, a lack of control over flows, of basic security requirements, and an ignoring of demands and controls”.
And he added: “We can tell both sides that immigration policy has really changed a lot in the last 11 months”, that today it is no longer out of control, it is regulated and humane.
Leitão Amaro said that “great progress” was made in the 440,000 requests for documentation , and that “most” of the 220,000 cases with CPLP processes and titles to renew and replace were attended to.