The President of the Republic has enacted the decree from the National Assembly amending the legal regime for the entry, stay, exit, and deportation of foreigners from the national territory, as announced today on the Presidency’s official website.
In a statement, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa indicated that the law, revised and approved by 70% of deputies, “minimally addresses the essential constitutional concerns raised by him and confirmed by the Constitutional Court.”
Speaking to journalists in parliament, PSD parliamentary leader Hugo Soares emphasized that “it is undoubtedly an important day for the country, but especially for immigrants” who choose Portugal to live and work.
“Today, we can say we have an immigration law that allows entry into Portugal for those who seek us out, but in a responsible way, so that we can integrate them with humanism,” he stated.
Asked about the President’s remark that the new version of the bill only “minimally” addresses his constitutional concerns, Hugo Soares focused on the fact that it was enacted.
“I believe the President choses his words very carefully, including this one, but the point is that he enacted it. If he enacted it, it’s because he understands it aligns with the Constitution, which is what we believed as well,” he noted.
Regarding the timing of the decision by the head of state, who had referred the first version of the bill to the Constitutional Court, Hugo Soares declined to comment, unlike CDS-PP.
“It is not our place to comment on the timing of the President,” he said.
Earlier, João Almeida, a deputy from CDS-PP (a coalition partner supporting the PSD-led Government), had remarked that while the President’s decision is significant, “it is clearly overdue.”
“The implementation, which will follow the enactment of the immigration law, should have occurred sooner, as evidenced by the figures revealed today, showing that the Government, when presented them, was proposing an urgent legislative change,” he remarked.
According to João Almeida, newly available official figures confirm that “in seven years, the number of immigrants in Portugal has quadrupled,” now exceeding 1.5 million.
“No country can cope with such an increase in such a short period. It is impossible,” he stated, pointing out the pressure this number puts on “schools, health facilities, and all social service provisions.”
IL and JPP, who voted in favor of the decree, also praised the enactment by Belém.
IL leader Mariana Leitão called the enactment of the bill “excellent news” that will allow the country to have “clear rules” regarding immigration, preventing irregularities, and escaping the “chaos” previously caused by “PS and other left-wing parties.”
JPP also commended the President’s decision, with deputy Filipe Sousa stating that although it’s not a “perfect bill,” the country will no longer have “open doors as in the past” and “there will be more effective immigration control.”
This new version was approved in plenary on September 30 with votes in favor from PSD, CDS-PP, Chega, IL, and JPP, and against from PS, Livre, PCP, BE, and PAN, following the Constitutional Court’s rejection of five provisions of the previous decree in August.
On July 24, the President of the Republic submitted the first version of the parliament’s decree to the Constitutional Court, requesting preventive scrutiny of the constitutionality of norms regarding the right to family reunification and conditions for its exercise, the deadline for AIMA (Agency for the Integration of Migrations and Asylum) to assess applications, and the right to appeal.
