In our opinion, this is illogical. In the first place it is a sudden and unexpected measure and this is a first element of negative surprise. Secondly, it is a measure that hits hard on people who have not been properly warned. It was announced at 5pmon one day to come into force at 4am the next", said the head of Portuguese diplomacy.

"It is also an absurd measure, the foundations of which we do not know. Suspending flights from Portugal on the grounds of connections between Portugal and Brazil is, with all due respect, completely absurd," he added, adding that he had already asked the British counterpart for a conversation "to understand the grounds" for the decision.