The Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, confirmed on Saturday that the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) has begun issuing 4,574 notifications for the departure of foreign nationals illegally residing in the country, part of a first group of 18,000 rejections already decided.
“In the coming weeks, we will be dealing with these roughly 18,000 notifications for leaving national territory,” the minister stated during a press conference. This announcement followed confirmation of information previously reported that 4,500 immigrants will soon be notified to voluntarily leave Portugal.
Leitão Amaro emphasized that this action is part of a “first set of decisions”, with another 110,000 cases yet “to be decided,” which will also result in “more rejections and more notifications”. He admitted, “The majority will be approved.”
“This information confirms that immigration policy in Portugal has shifted to regulated immigration, where immigration rules are to be upheld, and non-compliance has consequences. It’s important to clarify that these cases involve individuals violating both Portuguese and European rules to remain in the national territory,” stated Leitão Amaro.
“To ensure fairness for those adhering to rules in Portugal – both Portuguese and foreigners – a state that enforces its laws, a rule of law state, must enforce the consequences stipulated by law, which means notifying for departure, allowing up to 20 days for voluntary departure, after which coercive removal should occur,” he added.
The cases in question primarily involve “individuals who already had exit orders from Europe issued by other European countries or entry bans,” or those with “criminal records identified.” Most of the cases – two-thirds – concern immigrants from the Indian subcontinent.
The Minister of the Presidency further noted that Portugal has faced “significant challenges in executing coercive removals” since the abolishment of the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF). He reiterated criticisms of the Socialist Party (PS) and Chega, reminding that last year the government proposed to Parliament the establishment of a foreign nationals and borders unit within the PSP, and a “swifter and more effective removal process for those in an illegal situation,” which the parties rejected.
“We need to implement changes in the next legislature to ensure the rules are fully adhered to,” he concluded.
The Minister of the Presidency today stated that since the dissolution of SEF, Portugal has encountered “considerable difficulty in executing coercive removals” of immigrants and blamed PS and Chega for rejecting the government’s proposals.
Portuguese authorities estimate the number of foreign residents in Portugal at 1.6 million in 2024, as per the interim report on pending case recovery by the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA), released in early April.
[News updated at 13:06]
