António Leitão Amaro, Minister of the Presidency, defended this Monday that Portugal speed up the deportation procedures for undocumented immigrants. "It is necessary so that the rules are followed, it is justice for those who follow the rules, it is a condition of tranquility and social support for the integration system", said the minister.
The minister's statements came after a meeting of the National Council for Migration. The meeting, called last week, presented a package of measures to speed up the deportation of immigrants, in line with the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum.
Eliminating the redundant procedural stage of the first notification for voluntary abandonment of national territory, shortening the appeal deadlines for the final return decision and creating the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (UNEF).
"Portugal needs to review its return regime, which is not working. It is important to understand that today Portugal is one of the three countries in Europe that carries out the fewest returns of people who have been ordered to abandon their country for violating the rules, including for security reasons," highlighted Leitão Amaro. According to official data from Eurostat, Portugal is one of the countries that least deflects immigrants from its territory, coming in second only to Slovakia in 2024.
In the minister's view, "Portugal was not making a comeback because the SEF was dismantled and because rules full of bureaucratic obstacles were created". António Leitão Amaro clarified that the actions are not similar to those of countries that have "aggressive security" expulsions, but rather, "a system that is balanced but that works".
According to the minister, it will be ensured that legal processes are followed and that "human rights" of immigrants are respected. "This means procedural rights to be heard, to have counseling and special protection for vulnerable citizens, in particular young people and those citizens who flee the country when they are persecuted," he explained.
"The elections will also serve to judge the change in immigration policy"
With the Government in office, the minister stated that he is "not legislating", but rather starting the debate. "This debate is taking place in Europe and Portugal has to start doing so so that the new Government, the new Parliament, can legislate and legislate with an internal debate involving non-governmental organizations, experts, representatives of the emigrant communities, representatives of the Security Forces and intelligence services, all of whom are gathered in this council. This is where the debate has to start", he argued.
António Leitão Amaro also said that the current government is based on "moderation" in immigration policies. "Being moderate in immigration policy means this. On the one hand, having rules, putting the rules in place, including the removal of illegal immigrants, and on the other, doing so while respecting fundamental rights, with balance, with moderation, but the rules have to work, otherwise there will be no rules at all", he defined. At the same time, he declared that "the elections will also serve to judge the change in immigration policy" in Portugal.