Portugal’s new immigration rules worry some, leave others unconcerned in Angola

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Portugal’s new immigration rules worry some, leave others unconcerned in Angola

7:16 CAT | 07 Jun 2024

FILE - For illustration purposes only. [File photo: Lusa]

Changes to the law on foreigners in Portugal have left some Angolans who have plans to emigrate to Portugal apprehensive, especially as the changes are not clear as relates to nationals of member states of the Community of Portuguese Language Community (CPLP).

On Monday, an amendment to the law that establishes the legal regime for the entry, stay, exit and removal of foreigners in Portugal was promulgated, ending the exception regime that allowed immigrants to regularise their stay in the country by formally expressing an interest in becoming a resident.

Regarding the changes, Angolan citizen Rosa Maria de Castro, who is in the process of applying for a visa to Portugal, said she believes they will also affect citizens of the CPLP nationals, as immigration to Portugal is increasing.

Castro, who is looking to enter Portugal for the first time, considered the government’s measure to be important, acknowledging that some people are being lured to come and work in the country but finding when they get there that there is no work or they are exploited.

“I think it’s a method of control: people can only enter Portugal to make their stay worthwhile, they have to enter Portugal with a goal, to help it grow,” she told Lusa. “. Portugal needs people to help its economy grow.”

Castro emphasised that the CPLP visa had helped many families, who had managed to settle in Portugal.

“Africa is going through a difficult time in its economy and people’s goal is to leave in search of better conditions,” she added.

In her case, the biggest difficulty she encountered was scheduling the visa application, she said.

Manuel Queta, an employee at a travel agency, expressed concern because the information is unclear about CPLP visas.

“Even today we’ve submitted some CPLP visa applications and we haven’t received any notification that any documents are missing, because something has been changed,” he said.

Queta emphasised that the CPLP visa is unbureaucratic and easy to obtain, expressing the hope that there will be no substantial changes.

For this Angolan, there does need to be better control over immigration, but not preventing entry, pointing out that Portugal has agreements with several countries and must respect them.

“We need Portugal just as Portugal needs us, it’s in both our interests,” he emphasised.

Edinaldo Borges, a travel agent, said he was “relaxed” about these rules, because he believes the interests of the Portuguese-speaking community “are being safeguarded” by the authorities in Portugal.

“The only rule they’ve added is that the CPLP community must present means of subsistence on entry, proving their livelihood in Portugal,” he said. “I think that so far our interests are well safeguarded.”

Borges believes that all countries should have control over the people who enter, for security reasons, to monitor and safeguard the country’s interests.

One person who is worried about the new rules is Flora Sebastião, a civil servant, who went to the visa centre on Thursday for about the requirements for a student visa for her son.

“My son is finishing secondary school now and I want to send him to Portugal to attend university, but I heard that the rules for immigration to Portugal have changed, so I came here today to find out what is needed,” she said.

Sebastião emphasised that she knows that the measures taken by Portugal are aimed at “tightening up [on] the entry of immigrants,” but she argued that the ties that exist between the Portuguese-speaking peoples should deserve attention.

From now on, a foreign national will only have access to a Portuguese residence visa if it was issued before they left their country of origin, in many cases if they have a previous work contract. The exception is CPLP nationals, because Portugal has signed a mobility agreement with other members states.

Among the 41 measures set out in the plan is the possible future transformation of the current mobility visa for migrants from CPLP member states into a Schengen visa, which allows them to move around European Union and other countries that are in the Schengen free movement area, and the creation of a Foreigners and Borders Unit (UEF) in the PSP police force to monitor the presence of immigrants and set up emergency call centres.

Source: Lusa