Immigrant associations request hearing with President to reject foreigners' law

The collectives request, as an alternative, that the diploma be sent for inspection by the Constitutional Court ( TC ).

"There are many problems with the writing of the legislation itself. We will ask that the law not be enacted and that it be reviewed by the Constitutional Court," Ana Paula Costa, president of the Casa do Brasil in Lisbon, told Lusa.

The diploma was approved on Wednesday with favorable votes from the PSD, Chega and CDS, abstention from IL and opposition from the entire left, and was sent to the Presidency of the Republic to be promulgated.

The new law requires all immigrants to have a work visa issued by the Portuguese consulate in their country of origin in order to be able to regularize their situation in Portugal with a residence permit, with the exception of investment visas ( golden visas) and highly qualified immigrants, who can obtain a job-seeking visa.

Furthermore, the new law imposes new rules for reunification, imposing a two-year deadline after the residence permit is approved for applications for adult family members.

The request for a hearing is signed by Casa do Brasil, the Cape Verdean associations of Setúbal and Sintra, Casa da Índia, the Gira collective and the Instituto Brasil.

"In our view, this law is a setback that harms immigrants, but also Portugal," said Ana Paula Costa, who promised opposition from associations.

The associations had already expressed a lot of criticism when the government announced the reform of migration policy.