A recently passed legislative reform in the national parliament has made the social mobility subsidy available to all immigrants who have lived in the Azores for more than six months, in order to ensure that “all residents” in the archipelago are entitled to support, regardless of nationality. Beneficiaries of the subsidy pay a discounted rate for air travel between the Azores and the mainland, and the Azores and Madeira.

This subsidy, effective with the 2025 State Budget, extends support to all immigrants who meet the residency requirement. Previously, the law restricted eligibility to Portuguese nationals, EU citizens, Schengen member states, and countries with cooperation agreements like Brazil, excluding approximately 2,500 immigrants. According to MP Inês Sousa Real (PAN), this exclusion left over 60% of immigrants without access to the benefit.

Despite the law’s earlier limitations, the PS emphasised that the exclusion had not been enforced since the subsidy’s introduction in 2015. However, recent reports from Diário de Notícias and RTP indicated that several immigrants were denied access due to CTT’s restrictive interpretation of eligibility, which included only nationals and citizens of certain countries.

“The law was poorly drafted. Over the course of nine years, it was never applied, as it is completely unfair,” said MP Fabian Figueiredo (BE). PSD MP Paulo Moniz acknowledged the previous injustice, stating, “These 2,500 immigrants living in the Azores are perfectly integrated and in line with the law. It is only fair that they naturally access this mobility subsidy”.

For IL, MP Albino Ramos stressed the importance of ensuring non-discrimination, noting, “Voting against the proposal would be the same as saying that there are first-class and second-class residents”. While supporting the amendment, the PCP and CDS-PP highlighted another issue within the law, which excludes some students from accessing the subsidy due to their age.

President of the Assembly José Pedro Aguiar-Branco urged deputies to adhere to the agenda after deviations marked the debate. “This has nothing to do with freedom of expression but with the rules of the agenda,” he said, addressing criticisms from Chega.

Meanwhile, the government plans to reduce the maximum airfare under the subsidy to 119 euros, down from the current 134 euros for round-trip travel. However, travellers must first pay the sales price upfront and await reimbursement. Additionally, a cap of 600 euros on reimbursable ticket costs was introduced in 2024, sparking regional controversy.

An online platform to streamline reimbursement processing is also expected this year, aiming to simplify access to the subsidy for residents of the autonomous regions.