“Freedom of opinion deserves our respect. However, extreme opinions, provocations among demonstrators, or messages of hate and intolerance, as well as political exploitation of these freedoms, are different matters and should be distinguished,” stated António Leitão Amaro, the Minister of the Presidency.
Leitão Amaro was responding to a query during a Council of Ministers briefing regarding the peaceful protest involving dozens of immigrants, which took place today at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) premises in Porto. During the protest, police intervened to remove a man who had infiltrated the demonstration with anti-immigration remarks, leading to clashes with the protesters.
The minister assured that the government listens to those “expressing their concerns because the state takes time to respond to their legitimate requests,” and also considers the concerns of individuals worried about the “lack of control in migration policy.”
“We can only tell people worried about the lack of documentation that if they are entitled to it, they will receive it because they comply with Portuguese law. At the same time, we must tell those concerned with security control that we listen to them and are taking steps to address these issues. Otherwise, we risk falling into extremes, erecting walls, or pushing people into a corner of indignity,” he remarked.
Leitão Amaro highlighted that the government has addressed the 440,000 pending regularization requests, although nearly half were not approved, emphasizing that this change, implemented by the current administration, provides undocumented individuals with a state response.
The minister added that “the time has ended” for ignoring issues like the absence of criminal records and the collection of biometric data from immigrants. He noted that neglecting these rules was “unfair to those who came with the effort to comply with the laws and to all Portuguese citizens who follow the laws daily.”
“We need to be a country of rules. Only with rules can we ensure that the bridges we maintain, the ones we haven’t closed or turned into walls, remain sustainable. On either side of each bridge, as Portuguese society, in public services, and the economy, we must be capable of integrating these individuals with humanity,” he concluded.
