The nationality law was discussed in detail, with amendments made by the parliamentary committee on constitutional affairs during the debate this morning.
“Our aim has always been to make clear that the nationality law is not just any law” and it defines “what it means to be Portuguese (…) and how we should conduct ourselves in the country,” stated PSD deputy António Rodrigues.
According to Rodrigues, “the PSD tried to find cross-party platforms for understanding,” seeking to “discuss solutions” with other parties, but “some entrenched themselves” in their positions.
“It was not possible to find total platforms of understanding,” as “there will always be divergences on this matter,” but the goal is to find “a definitive solution” that enshrines the concept of a nation, of “people who are together and share the same values” and the “same symbols,” explained António Rodrigues.
Chega deputy Cristina Rodrigues warned that the party will not give ground on issues it considers essential: “We do not see any advantage in granting nationality to those with a criminal past” or to “those who cannot sustain themselves” in Portugal.
“We are here representing the Portuguese, not nationals of other countries or immigrants’ expectations” in Portugal and “we are certain that the Portuguese were mistreated with the change to the nationality law by the minor coalition,” in 2018, stated Cristina Rodrigues.
Socialist Pedro Delgado Alves believed that the new law “should deserve broad consensus,” respecting the political differences of each party.
“We made significant concessions,” but “placing the nationality law in a political battleground is a mistake for the country” and, today, in parliament, “there are political forces that stray from the constitutional values” associated with “humanism and integration policy.”
Pedro Delgado Alves regretted that the proposal does not provide a transitional regime for those already in the country, categorizing this absence as a “proportional justice error,” which affects the public image of the country for people who “made life choices” based on the existing law.
For the PS, the fact that the new law only counts the time for acquiring nationality from the granting of residency might extend the duration, given the State’s delay in issuing this authorization.
The “failures should be attributed to the public administration” and not to the citizens, argued the PS, which also criticizes the proposal that only grants access to nationality to foreigners born in Portugal with parents who have lived in Portugal for five years.
Rui Rocha (IL) highlighted that the four main parliamentary parties agree on extending the duration — from the current five years of legal residence to nine, in the case of the PS, or ten for the others — which indicates the “construction of a relatively broad consensus.”
Regarding the left’s complaints that the periods should be counted from the residency applications and not from the granted authorizations, IL deputy argued that lawmakers should not “legislate on the assumption of the State’s failure.”
Paulo Muacho (Livre) critiqued the legislative process and regretted the lack of the “minimum seriousness” the topic would demand.
He gave the example of the article that enables nationality access to foreign residents who are great-grandchildren of Portuguese, potentially reaching a potential universe of “20 to 30 million” people.
These are “absolutely indeterminate concepts that will give the Government enormous discretionary power.”
Bloco de Esquerda coordinator, Mariana Mortágua, who only participated in the initial discussion, stated that the new law “was treated like any other law,” due to the “rush with which it was discussed,” with amendment proposals “just hours before the discussion.”
“This law is being amended to resolve a bargain between the more radical right-wing parties” and is “particularly cruel to foreign children born on Portuguese soil.”
Paula Santos (PCP), criticized the “unfair and deeply negative process” represented by the law, which makes a “deliberate confusion” between migration and nationality, aiming to “divide and pit some against others.”
João Almeida (CDS) recalled that the new law also aims to follow the European trend of tightening citizenship access, carried out by several countries, some of which are governed by socialist parties.
“At this moment, in the European Union, Portuguese nationality was becoming one of the easiest for immigrants,” he said.
