Portugal has always been welcoming country for foreigners. Many people from different countries have settled in Portugal. Portugal has seen significant growth in immigration over the past few years. People from Brasil, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, Angola and several other african countries have made Portugal their new home. But from over the past year, the hate and racism towards foreigners have increased rapidly across the country. There have been a lot of protest against Immigrants in big cities like Lisbon, Porto and Albufeira.
What are the main causes?
1. Social Media:
Videos on social media platforms like Tiktok and instagram are getting viral in portuguese communities. Some people are blaming immigrants for overcrowded hospitals, increase in rents, public transport,etc. by just watching the videos posted on Tiktok and Instragam.
2. Politics Fear:
Far right parties, Chega which is getting more popular day by day by spreading hate speech about the immigrants. The president of Chega, Andre Ventura often blame immigrants for every problem that is going on Portugal.
3. Fear of Cultural Changes:
Portuguese community feels that the traditional portuguese culture is getting weaker by growing presence of other cultures, religion and language. Mainly in some part of Lisbon, there is huge number of muslim population which is creating more disatisfaction in portuguese citizens view.
4. Less Public Services:
Some Native Portuguese are blaming immigrants for over pressure on public services like Transportation,Healthcare and Education. Despite the fact that they are the one who work and supports the system like working as nurses, drivers, cleaners, construction workers,etc.
5. Low Wages:
Portugal has one of the lowest wage in Europe. Portuguese Citizens struggle very much with the low income and high cost of living especially in the cities like Lisbon and Porto. Its normal for people to look for someone to blame and immigrants are often get targeted for that.
6. Increase In Crime:
Some Portuguese citizens thinks that because of immigrants, the crime rate of portugal has grown but the reality is different. There is no any evidence that the increase of immigrants leads to crime.
Migration experts and Fact checkers have denied wrongly claim crime linking to immigration.
Government of Portugal has tightened the rules and regulations for immigrants. Here are the some changes made recently:
1. Cancellation of “Expression of Interest”(Manifestação de Interesse) :
Expression of Interest was the first way to legalisation in Portugal but it was ended on June 2024 aiming at tightening the entry, residency and citizenship conditions.
2. Limited work visa:
Government of Portugal has announced that they will only provide the visa to those who are highly skilled or qualified.
3. Changes on Family Reunion:
Time for Family reunification is minimum two years of legal residency. Government of Portugal(PSD) along with Chega appealed for the changes and it was passed from parliament went to President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. He hasn’t signed yet as he agrees to send the new law on foreigners to Constitutional Court.
4. Possible time extension for citizenship:
Current Government (PSD) and Chega had appealed for the extension of time for portugues citizenship. Before it was only needed 5 years of legal residence but now the Government wants to make it 10 years for non portuguese speaking countries and 7 years for portuguese speaking countries. It is not approved yet. The constitutional court will decide at the end of September 2025.
Portugal is getting hard day by day for foreigners. Most of the people arenot getting their first residency card for more than six months after giving biometric. Foreigners are getting frustrated over the treatment they are getting from Government.
AIMA(Agência Para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo) which means the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum in portugal is responsible for issuing the residency. They have almost finished all of the application but are taking longer period of time to provide the residency.
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