The announcement was made by Livre parliamentary leader Isabel Mendes Lopes to journalists at the Assembleia da República following the leaders’ conference meeting.
The party aims to “make it clear” to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa how the legislative process unfolded in parliament, arguing that the “law is flawed from the start and should not be promulgated.”
“[It should] return to the Assembleia da República so it can be genuinely discussed as a law of this importance should be: with time, with contributions from all parliamentary groups, and, above all, by listening to those directly affected by the government’s proposed law,” argued the deputy.
The alterations to the legal regime governing the entry, stay, exit, and removal of foreigners from the national territory were approved in parliament today in a final global vote, with the PSD, Chega, and CDS voting in favor and many criticisms regarding the lack of required opinions and the government’s haste, which led to the IL’s abstention.
The issue at hand involves the absence of mandatory opinions and the hearings of immigrant associations and constitutionalists requested by opposition parties.
Isabel Mendes Lopes considered the situation a “democratic affront” and rejected PSD parliamentary leader Hugo Soares’s “get used to it” remark used in plenary on the 10th when discussing the urgencies to the government’s proposals to amend nationality and immigration laws and create the PSP Foreigners and Borders Unit.
Hours before this announcement, Mariana Mortágua, coordinator of the Left Bloc, also indicated that her party will request a meeting with the President of the Republic to appeal for a veto of the parliament-approved changes to the foreigners’ law.
Mariana Mortágua stated that the legislative process allowing the approval of changes to the foreigners’ law today “is a stain on the parliament’s history” because it occurred “without proper debate, clarification” and “without resolving the constitutional doubts.”
Isabel Mendes Lopes further criticized the demolitions of shacks that occurred this week in the municipalities of Amadora and Loures, Lisbon district, considering this action “inhumane and cruel” by the socialist councils, leaving “people, families, children without alternatives.”
The Livre deputy reiterated that the Emergency Housing Fund, proposed by the party within the scope of the State Budget for 2024, approved but not yet regulated, could already be used for situations like this.
“This Emergency Housing Fund has been pending regulation for over 400 days. We’re talking about approximately 100 million euros per year that could be used to help people. This is 10 times more than the State Budget for the National Strategy to Support Homeless People. Therefore, we’re talking about a substantial amount that could concretely help people,” she appealed.
The funds for this initiative derive from 25% of the Stamp Duty collected from real estate transactions.
The deputy also indicated that her party raised the issue of comments made by Chega deputies about immigrant children allegedly attending a school in Lisbon during the leaders’ conference, reminding that Livre has already requested a review by the parliamentary committee on Transparency and Deputies’ Statute regarding the matter.
