“I also want to tell the country that I do not exclude, and will convene the parliamentary group on this matter, the possibility of presenting a parliamentary inquiry commission” on “the granting of nationality, residence, and residence permits in Portugal,” during the tenures of António Costa and Luís Montenegro, he stated.
In a press conference at the party’s headquarters in Lisbon, André Ventura considered that “since 2017, the number of nationalities granted has increased uncontrollably,” and he plans to propose that the commission investigate from that year until the last government led by Luís Montenegro.
The Chega leader indicated that if the initiative proceeds, Chega will want to hear from the former Prime Minister and current President of the European Council, António Costa, the current Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, the former officeholder Augusto Santos Silva, as well as former Ministers of Internal Administration José Luís Carneiro, who is the sole candidate for the PS leadership, and Margarida Blasco.
André Ventura mentioned that Chega might “proceed with a potestative commission, if necessary, to investigate in detail those responsible for the criminal granting of nationality and residency in Portugal in recent years.”
According to the party leader, potential crimes involved could include “document forgery, betrayal of the country, money laundering, [or] influence peddling.”
Chega is also planning to request an urgent debate to be scheduled for Friday, “on the issues of residence, immigration, and nationality granted in Portugal.”
Ventura cited the case of the seven citizens who lost their lives last week in a plane crash in India.
Under Portuguese law, Portuguese nationality can be granted to those born or residing in the so-called “Portuguese State of India”—encompassing Goa, Daman, Diu, Dadra, and Nagar Haveli—up to certain dates, as well as to their children and grandchildren.
However, the Chega leader claimed these individuals do not fit these criteria and argued that “what happened was trading Portuguese nationality.”
