Lisbon Dec 15,2025 — Portugal’s Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) has declared several core provisions of the new nationality law unconstitutional, delivering a decisive legal setback to the government’s attempt to tighten access to Portuguese citizenship.
Lisbon Dec 15 — In a move that is sending ripples through Portugal’s immigrant communities, AIMA (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) has begun converting certain residence renewal requests into new applications for residence authorization in a different article, instead of issuing outright refusals.
A new clash is anticipated between the Constitutional Court and the Government, this time over the Nationality Law. Judges will announce their decision at the start of next week. The Socialist Party had requested a review.
Lisbon, December 12, 2025 — Portugal’s Constitutional Tribunal (TC) is in the final hours of its mandated review period for the highly contested reform to the nationality law, with a ruling expected by the statutory deadline of Sunday, December 14.
The Portuguese Parliament has accepted for discussion a public petition that urges the country to formally recognize the waiting time in immigration procedures as part of the legal-residence period required to obtain Portuguese nationality — a change that could impact thousands of migrants who have spent years in administrative limbo.
The European Union has proposed a new Migration Solidarity Mechanism designed to help member states facing high migration pressure—such as Italy, Greece, and Spain. Under this system, other EU countries would either accept relocated asylum seekers or provide financial support. Portugal has voted against this mechanism.
Judges held a session last week. The deadline is Sunday, December 14th.
The Constitutional Court's analysis of the new Nationality Law , recently approved in Parliament with votes from the right, should be released this week. According to the legal deadline, the judges have until December 14th to issue their opinion – 25 consecutive days from the date it was sent to the Palácio Ratton (the Constitutional Court building). The first hearing took place last Thursday, December 4th.
The “last major piece of legislation in the immigration policy reform” was approved by the Council of Ministers this Thursday, December 4th. It is a new regime to accelerate the removal of foreigners from national territory, particularly those who do not have the right to reside in Portugal.
"The law is directed at those who violate the rules, it is not directed indiscriminately," stated António Leitão Amaro at a press conference. The legislation will apply to those who "entered and are in Portugal illegally," said the Minister of the Presidency.
PSD and CDS-PP on Wednesday enabled a budget amendment proposal from Chega that revises the rules for issuing residency certificates (so-called Junta or Atestado de Residência) to foreign citizens, limiting the number of certificates per household.
The ten GNR (National Republican Guard) officers arrested this Tuesday , following a major operation by the Judiciary Police against human trafficking, were working in uniform, monitoring and forcing migrants into forced labor under conditions of semi-slavery.
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