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The Minister of Internal Administration (MAI) said that in the coming decades Portugal should focus on “legal, safe and orderly migration mechanisms” so that the rights to health, housing and work are guaranteed.
“Portugal is a country, according to the latest censuses, that is marked by aging, it needs immigrants. Therefore, it must privilege mechanisms for legal, safe and orderly migration as a way to guarantee respect for human rights in such different domains, as the right to health, adequate housing and the right to a fair employment relationship”, said Eduardo Cabrita, at the session of opening of the international conference on Forced Returns and Human Rights, organised by the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI).
Cabrita maintained that legal migration is “a priority” that forces Portugal “to be inflexible in what is the management of common European borders and the fight against criminal phenomena that thrive on extreme human fragility”.
In this sense, he stated that human trafficking must be "combated at a national level and in articulation at European level", highlighting the new mandate of the European border control agency Frontex, the "first European force with its own operational means" and which should have up to 10,000 staff by 2027.
Eduardo Cabrita also said that Europe must “look at managing migratory flows in a coordinated, coherent and above all prepared way”, taking into account the humanitarian dimension of recent events in Afghanistan.
At the conference, the minister highlighted the changes registered in Portugal, which in recent decades has become “a country that receives foreign citizens from multiple origins”.
“Portugal, which 30 years ago had less than 100,000 foreign citizens, reached, even in times of pandemic, around 680,000 foreign citizens legally residing by the end of 2020”, he stressed.
According to Eduardo Cabrita, more than half a million foreign citizens have acquired Portuguese nationality since 2007, when the nationality law underwent significant changes.
“Since then, the number of acquisitions of Portuguese nationality has gone from around 5,000 a year to more than 50,000 a year”, he said, stressing that the returns to the countries of origin of migrants who arrive in Portugal in an irregular manner must be made with “respect for human dignity”.
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Portugal needs genuine Portuguese either by increasing local natality or by creating the necessary and sustainable conditions required for the successful return of many native Portuguese who were obliged to leave their country by the mismanagement and corruption of successive socialist governments! Accepting and giving great opportunities to refugees who were former allies of the foreign occupiers of their own countries it's not an acceptable recipe to rebuild the ten centuries old and wonderful Portugal! That misleading policy will just eventually lead to the ultimate destruction of Portugal as an independent country. It will also condemn Portugal to the periodic and humiliating survival hand-outs of the UE and will open the country to further exploitation of its immense resources by reduce the place (not Portugal anymore) to a vacation resort for western oligarchs and rich foreigners!
By Tony Fernandes from Other on 30 Sep 2021, 17:31
Replace "reduce" by "reducing".
By Tony Fernandes from Other on 30 Sep 2021, 17:41
The young and the smart have all fled Portugal.They can be found all over the world where they have found decent paying jobs and humane working conditions.
Those that remain are paid just above slave labour.This country relies on cheap labour so the rest of the people are kept in poverty.
The tiny minority that owns all the wealth in Portugal has kept it that way for centuries
By James from Algarve on 30 Sep 2021, 17:57
As an immigrant still fighting to survive due to the huge job crises life is very difficult to meet basic needs and take care family
By Johan from Lisbon on 30 Sep 2021, 20:16
Earlier today I commented on this article and then, apparently, you didn't like my comment!! So, you didn't publish it! Thank you for inviting comments and then don't publish them! Great!
By Tony Fernandes from Other on 01 Oct 2021, 02:09
Then they need to streamline and simplify the process for legal immigration. Different rules for different consulates, nightmares obtaining Numero de Utente, exchanging Drivers License (IMT probably the worst), Financas and SEF probably the best and still challenging at times. Whatever the rules are, publish them in a straightforward, checklist type manner and get all the Governmental Agencies some customer service training. Answer all emails within 3 business days, answer your phone, simple things will go a long way.
By Terry Follmer from Beiras on 01 Oct 2021, 05:30
In any other country, if any state official committed a crime half as serious as the one this man is responsible for, they would just resign. Not here in Portugal though; here they continue their jobs and are offered jobs in future at the UN by the General Secretary Mr. Guterres(in Mr. Cabrita´s case). Mr. Medina went on to do elections as if he hadn´t thrown refugee activists under the bus by sharing their private data with the gvrts/countries they fled from. And you wonder why Pt ppl are disgruntled? Why they say “Democracy and Human Rights are dead”? Much like the road worker killed by Mr.Cabrita´s over the speed limit auto vehicle.
By guida from Lisbon on 01 Oct 2021, 05:57
Another load of rubbish from this Government.. !!!!
By J from Lisbon on 01 Oct 2021, 06:30
Really? Seems like Finnish people are not that interesting. The Portugal-Finland new tax treaty was negotiated in 2018 but Portugal has yet to ratify it. Hurry up! We want to come.
By Jan Lindroos from Other on 01 Oct 2021, 15:00
I think the process for moving to portugal should be looked at. If you have proof of tenancy and proof of a job offer, this should be enough. But for a family of 4 it works out that you need these 2 things plus almost £15-20k to be allowed entry. Asking for 6 months worth of money would be far more doable for families wanting to move to a better country.
By Mairi from UK on 01 Oct 2021, 15:51
I arrived in Portugal in May with my Swiss/American spouse. She had her interview with Silves within a week and obtained residency. I still cannot get an interview (as I'm British), although my lawyer tries every week. I have purchased a villa for over Euro 1 million and contribute to the economy. I'm sure however if I was a North African migrant I would be dealt with on a much more timely manner. I do not undo stand the delay with the SEF.
By John Franklin from Algarve on 01 Oct 2021, 17:16
If Portugal is going to bring in immigrants from abroad, Portugal should bring in immigrants from the European countries like the former Soviet Union, Romania, Poland, Albania, and even the UK of Great Britain, Scandinavian countries, and etc. People that work hard and are intelligent enough to help develop Portugal in a way that Portugal will have a better standard of living in the future.
By Tony from Other on 01 Oct 2021, 17:19
Eduardo Cabrita, a long-time friend and protegee of the prime-minister António Costa, is an unpopular minister. As the person responsible for the Portuguese Interior Administration, Mr Cabrita is accused of many ills including abuse of power, disregard for the law, and even two unnecessary deaths due to his direct or indirect action (the 2020 death of a Ukrainian citizen killed by Portuguese security forces at Lisbon airport and the 2021 death of a highway maintenance worker struck by Mr Cabrita's car). Portugal's current open door policy for refugees has been created just to assist the USA after the huge flow of refugees created by their mishaps in Europe, Syria, Afghanistan, etc.. This is likely the main reason for Mr Cabrita's welcoming words, misguided promises, and prodigal deeds which are not even available to Portuguese emigrants who want to return and settle in their own country!
By Tony Fernandes from Other on 01 Oct 2021, 19:41
I’m astonished at the very racist undertones in many of the comments. How unkind and ironic, since they seem to be from white immigrants to Portugal. Stunning hypocrisy.
By Natalie from Alentejo on 01 Oct 2021, 22:32
How you said , take care of human rights and jobs for immigrants?? Please tell ground reality, from January 2020 to until present day Lots of peoples waiting for biometric Appointments from SEF. They all are suffering . They all have there Families and kids and parents who waiting them back home. But Portuguese govt: and SEF both are showing unresponsive behavior to immigrants. Peoples are literally begging the appointments but nobody listen to them even they have emergency in back home. But now I just read this News, Mr Minister need more immigrants for running country economy in future, wow..
By Gurjeet from Lisbon on 02 Oct 2021, 02:51
This article is good but the reality is very different. Invested our life savings into Portugal last September 2020, purchased our retirement home. But can we enter Portugal a year plus later? No. Still stuck waiting for a visa, a SEF appointments is needed for the visa application. Portugal accepts the money on the Golden Visa program but you cannot enter the country to start the new life. Very frustrated.
By Frustrated from Other on 02 Oct 2021, 05:24
The minister, if he is serious, should advise the various government departments of the county's need for immigrants. The support from the NHS to register is nigh non existent. We are advised our residents visas are of no use due the the fact that the address quoted id that of the lawyers in Lisbon and we have to go to SEF to have them corrected. Then when we buy a house the address will change and we will have to struggle to get an appointment with SEF again. So it is off to a private doctor for the medical to transfer a drivers license and I assume a long drive from Obidos to Leiria. It would be wonderful if there was co-operation between the various departments.
By Ronald from Lisbon on 02 Oct 2021, 11:02
SEF is a disgrace & Portugal is doomed if the situation is not changed soon. No appointments for months, total lack of accountability or proper channels of communication. This is a basic lack of respect for immigrants who have chosen to live in this country. All the rosy news articles disguise the extent of the situation
By Jo Walker from Lisbon on 02 Oct 2021, 11:04
I agree, not just Portugal needs immigrants, so do most European countries! But not the young unskilled boys from North Africa, Arabia or Afghanistan, who just want an easy life and full pay from the social.
By Egon from Algarve on 03 Oct 2021, 12:51
There are more then 10,000 Israeli's who received citizenship to Portugal waiting to move there but the embassy is closed we cannot get ID / Passport and even when it was open (before covid) takes more then a year to get the documents. if you need legal immigrants let us come and help us. we are stuck in Israel for the reasons above.
By Red from Other on 03 Oct 2021, 19:27
Bring to Portugal the old poor Jews that live in Siberia, and in the former Soviet Union, as an humanitarian compassion. Let them come as immigrants.
By Tony from Other on 03 Oct 2021, 19:47
Many of the "old poor Jews" that used to live in the Soviet Union have returned and settled in Israel some after the second World War and almost a million since 1986! It is not often said but well known that over 20% of Israel current Jewish population of over nine million people has Russian roots!
By Tony Fernandes from Other on 04 Oct 2021, 14:32
With the high cost of living in Portugal nowadays (see the rent prices in Lisbon), the high income tax and the low salaries, life might turn out miserable for many new migrants and force them to rethink their decision and move to another country with better living conditions (such as Germany) or back to their home country.
By David from Lisbon on 04 Oct 2021, 20:03
There is not one man on this earth , that is not racist in some form or a another , even the way they treat their own brothers that have different views and ways of living is racist , those that are not are just pretending. That is a fact proven by the ages humans have roamed earth, it might not be seen as normal by some but it is natural as we are still animals after all, like it or not, just a bit more intelligent and that is where the problems lie on this planet, all of them. True?
By João Carlos Bastos from Other on 05 Oct 2021, 08:45
Portugal needs decent housing before it can start importing more people. The housing market in the Algarve is one huge scam - e.g. annual rents mean a rental for 5-6 months (a year has 12 months). Rental prices are sky high, quality is non existent and Portuguese landlords think nothing of changing rental conditions on a whim.
By K from Algarve on 05 Oct 2021, 10:38