Portugal Tightens Migration Rules for Non-EU Citizens Under New Government

The new government of Portugal has decided to tighten migration rules for all non-EU citizens. Known for having one of the most liberal immigration regimes in the European Union, Prime Minister Luis Montenegro stated that Portugal will no longer maintain a “wide-open door” policy.

As part of its new Action Plan for Migration, the government has decided to limit the number of migrants by tightening current rules. Authorities have announced that non-EU citizens will no longer be allowed to migrate to Portugal without holding an employment contract. This means that future migrants must secure a job, sign a contract, and then enter the country.

By ending the rule that allowed moving to Portugal without an employment contract, Prime Minister Montenegro said the government aims to prevent excessive abuse of the system.

Additionally, the new government emphasized its focus on attracting foreign talent and introduced a plan to aid foreigners in integrating into Portugal. "The plan now approved is based on the principle that Portugal needs and wants to welcome more immigrants – for demographic, social, and economic reasons. An immigration that must be regulated and monitored, accompanied by humanist integration," stated Portugal’s Government Official Website.

As revealed by the official website of the Portuguese Government, the Action Plan is divided into four main areas. The government aims to promote regular migration, attract foreign talent, facilitate the integration process, and undertake institutional reorganization.

"The Plan is divided into four main areas of action: regulated immigration; attracting foreign talent; human integration that works; and institutional reorganisation," according to Portugal’s Government Official Website.

Authorities have stressed that special attention will be given to reviewing entry rules. Strengthened controls across the country will also be implemented to combat irregular migration and human trafficking, among other issues.

Portugal has been experiencing a high number of migrant arrivals, with the country’s foreign population doubling in the last five years. Due to this influx, Portugal is currently dealing with a backlog of regularisation applications.

Prime Minister Montenegro reported that there are currently around 400,000 regularisation applications pending processing. Data shows that in 2023, around 180,000 migrants were regularised.

By fLEXI tEAM