During an unannounced visit to Ovibeja on Sunday, President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa addressed the issue of over 4,500 foreign nationals being notified to leave Portugal due to their illegal status. These individuals are part of an initial batch of 18,000 determinations already made regarding pending immigration cases.
When questioned by journalists about these figures, President Marcelo stated, “I have seen them. No one knows exactly how many immigrants are in Portugal. The last figure suggests 1.6 million, though some say it might be slightly more or less. In the context of 1.6 million, it’s very little.”
Asked about these departures, Marcelo recalled that Parliament had approved regulations aimed at those without legal status, commenting, “We will see exactly what the definitive number is.”
“With this new law representing a shift in policy, we are now dealing with the application of a law that pertains to the regularization of 300,000 to 400,000 people who have been in limbo for three years since SEF was practically dismantled. Soon, we will know how many have been regularized. Certainly many. 100,000, perhaps 200,000,” he stated a few minutes later.
Leitão Amaro indicated that this measure is part of a “first set of decisions,” with an additional 110,000 cases still pending, which will result in “more refusals and notifications.”
Carmen Guilherme | 10:26 – 03/05/2025
“We are talking about more than a million people supporting various sectors of Portuguese society,” Marcelo emphasized.
“From my perspective, what needs to be determined is whether those who still need to meet requirements actually do so, and what the total number is of those forced to leave due to the new law. Whether it is five thousand, ten thousand. It’s crucial to avoid mistakes,” he noted.
When asked about the potential disappearance of immigrants from Portugal, Marcelo commented, “This would be a collapse for the economy of Portuguese society. We are talking about over a million people supporting various sectors of Portuguese society.”
The head of state stated that this is a “significant lesson” and that “this matter should not be left unresolved for three years.” “200,000 to 300,000 people have been left hanging,” he remarked.
