In an interview with the program ‘Política com Assinatura’ on Antena 1, aired today, Luís Montenegro reiterated that immigration should not be the sole focus of governance and emphasized that it was the government that took the initiative on this issue.
“The government didn’t concede anything, the government took the initiative. We presented proposals; if Chega has proposals to present, let them present”, he stated, adding that the ideas of this party “are a bit more radical” compared to those of the PSD/CDS-PP executive.
Montenegro noted that, concerning matters like immigration, it is normal for the PS to have “more difficulty aligning their position with the government’s”.
“The PS defended exactly the opposite for eight years, so it’s very difficult for them to now vote in favor – even if they internally believe the current direction is more correct than what they previously advocated -, it is still relatively early”, he said.
Reflecting on the last election results – marked by the victory of the AD and Chega becoming the second-largest parliamentary force -, Montenegro concluded that “the Portuguese people desire a more regulated, controlled immigration policy that dignifies those coming here.”
“To the question of who is influencing us, I answer: it’s the Portuguese people, our convictions, but also the very clear signals we receive from Portuguese society”, he declared.
The Prime Minister expressed surprise at the PS’s threat to break with the government, stating that this party “is not used to” being in opposition and remarked that Chega “is beginning to show” greater responsibility.
When asked about a possible veto by Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa on the legislation, the Prime Minister deemed it “very exaggerated” to say that the President is preparing to block the foreigner’s law, although he agreed that a thorough “legal and political judgment” should be provided.
“I trust that the legal solution found in parliament has the conditions to enter into force in the legal system, but we are here to ensure legal security and certainty in the pre-established solutions”, he assured.
Montenegro dismissed the claim that the government had legislated hastily – “we just have no time to waste” -, once again holding the PS executives accountable for the “very, very complex” situation in the field of immigration.
Without specifying a concrete number of immigrants Portugal can accommodate, the Prime Minister voiced confidence in the agreement with employer organizations for them to share responsibility for welcoming those who want to work with them and reiterated the importance of family reunification, despite the restrictions the government intends to introduce in this mechanism.
“We are not limiting the essential core of families, it’s good to state this as well”, he affirmed.
The new legal regime for the entry, stay, exit, and expulsion of foreigners from national territory, which limits job-seeking visas to “qualified work” and restricts the family reunification of immigrants, was approved on Wednesday in plenary by PSD, Chega, and CDS-PP, and, according to the Parliament’s portal, was submitted to the Palácio de Belém on Thursday.
PS, Livre, PCP, BE, PAN, and JPP voted against, while IL abstained from the final overall vote on the substitute text, drawn from a PSD/CDS-PP government proposal and a Chega bill.
Regarding the granting of residence permits to citizens from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and encompassed by the respective mobility agreement, the new regime requires prior possession of a residence visa — currently, a short-term visa or legal entry into national territory suffices.
