Portugal News

A new law on immigrants, published today in the Diário da República, proposes several measures to facilitate the issuance of cards, family reunification, and other matters for immigrants and has been formalised into law. The details of which are available on the website of  Diário da República.

According to the regulatory decree published today, the newly established agency will be empowered to decide on its own the issuance of temporary cards to immigrants and to expeditiously process cases in line with the office's modern procedures. can handle

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of Portugal, is poised to make a crucial decision that could have positive implications for immigrants residing in the country. Proposed amendments to the Nationality Law, awaiting the President's approval, suggest expedited access to the right to apply for Portuguese citizenship. The revised text specifies that, for the purpose of calculating legal residence periods as outlined in the law, the time elapsed since the request for a temporary residence permit will be considered, provided it is granted.

Portuguese airports, including Lisbon and Porto, have introduced a new biometric boarding system, eliminating the need for passengers to present their passport and identification.

The Portuguese Parliament has just approved several changes to the Nationality Law in Portugal.

 Although such changes cover different areas, one of the most relevant is related to the way the 5-year period required for a nationality application is counted. In fact, according to article 6º paragraph 1 of Nationality Law, one can apply for Portuguese nationality by naturalization after holding a residency of Portugal for at least 5 years, among other formal requirements.  

Today marks the launch of a novel platform designed for streamlining nationality procedures, promising a complete digital transformation that will significantly enhance the efficiency of Registry services. This innovative platform is set to accelerate the processing of approximately 23,000 procedures during the registration phase by seamlessly integrating with the Civil Registry. Its key objective is to ensure both security and transparency in the entire process.

Immigrants contributed 1,861 million euros to Social Security in 2022, while they only benefited from around 257 thousand euros in social benefits. In this way, there was a positive balance of immigrants' contributions of 1,600 million euros last year. Immigrants account for 7.5% of the total population, which was “the highest figure ever”.

The majority of foreigners living in Portugal come from countries outside the European Union (EU). Brazilians are the most numerous, followed by the British, Cape Verdeans, Italians and Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladesh.

The Portuguese Government's promise to open family reunification processes before the end of the year is creating expectations among thousands of immigrants, who have been waiting for years for something guaranteed by law.

Guinean Indira Djaló and Senegalese Ansumane Té have been in Portugal for around five years and live alone, in the hope that the Portuguese Government will authorize their spouses to have visas.

ISCTE researcher denies that there is a widespread xenophobic feeling in Portugal against Brazilians, but admits that the episodes have increased. Thaís França also regrets that the country does not openly discuss racism and xenophobia.

Researcher Thaís França warned this Saturday that anti-immigrant movements exist in Portugal and are increasingly organized, approaching their European counterparts, although without an equivalent social impact.

This is "the largest increase in the minimum guaranteed monthly salary ever seen", says the statement.

The prime minister's dismissal will be formalized in December, but OE2024 will be approved before.