Portugal: New tightening of immigration policy, restricting family reunification. Measures that run counter to the very welcoming immigration policy of the previous socialist government.
Portuguese MPs have adopted a legislative package aimed, among other things, at restricting family reunification and combating illegal immigration, a reversal of the previous socialist government's very welcoming immigration policy. By the end of 2024, the Iberian country had 1.55 million foreigners, four times more than in 2017 and around 15% of the total population, according to official data.
Under the new provisions, work visas will now only be granted to highly skilled immigrants, and the conditions for family reunification will be more stringent. Furthermore, Brazilians, who constitute the largest immigrant contingent, will no longer benefit from a rule that allowed them to regularize their situation after arriving in Portugal.
Finally, Parliament voted this Wednesday in favor of creating a new unit within the national police force that will be responsible for combating illegal immigration and organizing the expulsion of irregular migrants. However, the third part of the government's legislative package on migration policy, which aimed in particular to restrict the conditions for access to Portuguese nationality, will still be the subject of parliamentary negotiations, due to doubts over the legality of certain provisions. […]
Fdesouche
