Ziaur Rahman was among the many who gathered at the Assembly of the Republic today, seeking a resolution to his situation.
Having lived in Portugal for two years, he applied for a residence permit in September 2023 but is still awaiting a response.
In the meantime, he has been working consistently in the kitchen of a hotel in Lisbon and expresses a desire to continue living in the country, aiming to bring his family from Bangladesh once his situation is regularized.
The challenges in obtaining residence permits are common among those interviewed, who hoped that sharing their stories might help their cause.
Originally from India, Ninja Hundal has been in Portugal for six years, working in agriculture. He asserts that he has always contributed to social security and paid taxes. However, his company has now requested a residence permit for him to continue working, which he does not yet possess.
Hundal also shared a colleague’s story, whose family remains in India. Recently, his colleague’s wife passed away, and lacking a valid residence permit, he could not reunite with his daughters, fearing he wouldn’t be able to return to Portugal.
Representing Solidariedade Imigrante, the protest organizer, José Soeiro claimed that in recent months, dozens have been detained due to being listed in the Schengen Information System for irregular residence in a member state.
“The government is politically persecuting immigrant workers,” claimed Soeiro, a former Bloco de Esquerda deputy, citing cases of workers in Porto experiencing police visits aimed at detaining them.
Karan, although not yet detained, has been notified by the Agency for Integration, Migrations, and Asylum (AIMA) for appearing in the SIS list.
He explained that before moving to Portugal, where he has lived for three years, he resided in another EU member state without regularizing his status.
For about two hours, over a thousand demonstrators, mainly from the Indian subcontinent, gathered peacefully outside the Assembly of the Republic, attentively listening to testimonies and statements of support.
Under the early afternoon sun, Sikh community members distributed water, food, and juices to combat the intense heat, while others used protest signs for shade, displaying messages like “Those who have committed no crimes should not be deprived of freedom” and “Enough with arbitrary detentions” while chanting slogans such as “equal rights” and “documents for all.”
“I work in a fruit store and the customers treat me poorly. I’m not an animal, I’m a person, working,” lamented Sukhjinder Singh, calling for respect for immigrants. He noted feeling welcomed upon arriving four years ago, seeking a better life to support his parents in India, a sentiment that he feels has diminished amid growing discrimination.
Besides José Soeiro, other political representatives visited to show solidarity with the immigrants.
“We are talking about workers who seek a better life in our country, who work, who live here, who contribute and, therefore, the response must be one of integration, welcoming, ensuring work and living conditions, and regularization,” emphasized Paula Santos, parliamentary leader of the PCP.
Isabel Mendes Lopes of Livre accused the state of failing to provide “the most basic right to documentation” while demanding “a series of duties.” “This has significant consequences on people’s lives,” she added.
Toward the end of the protest, as demonstrators began to disperse towards Rua de São Bento, the arrival of the Chega leader abruptly ended the peaceful gathering. André Ventura was met with significant opposition and chants of “fascist,” “racist,” and “Portugal is for those who work.”
For the protest organizers, Ventura’s presence was perceived as “a provocative act, typical of him.”
