Information
Portugal has recently made significant changes to its immigration policy, aiming to restrict the number of new arrivals. The country repealed a key migration policy on Monday, June 04, 2024, ending a rule that allowed non-EU migrants to move to Portugal without an employment contract and later request residency after paying social security for a year. Now, migrants will need an employment contract before moving to the country.
This shift in policy comes as Portugal witnesses a political shift towards the right wing, with border restrictions being a key issue. The country has historically had one of Europe’s most open immigration regimes, but the newly-elected Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has expressed a desire to “put an end to… excessive abuse” of its welcome for migrants.
Portugal’s foreign population has doubled in the last five years, with many people coming from Asia to work on farms and in restaurants. Overseas arrivals now make up one million people, roughly a tenth of the total population, according to government data. Last year, 180,000 migrants were regularized, and there are currently around 400,000 regularization applications still pending. Prime Minister Montenegro has stated, “We need people in Portugal willing to help us build a fairer and more prosperous society. But we cannot go to the other extreme and have wide-open doors.”
Source: AFP, Reuters, EFE
So what
As mentioned many times on this page, this is another step right for Europe which appears to have grown tired of left-leaning governments and open immigration policies. It is highly likely that voters blame these types of policies for the current levels of inflation, the housing crisis, and rising levels of crime. While it is likely that this is a factor there are a range of reasons for each of these factors including COVID and the rise of social media. Regardless of the causes, it appears likely that right-leaning political parties will continue to see high levels of popularity (except for in the UK) with this likely being reflected in the European parliament.
Follow us to join the intelligence community!