The announcement was made by the Secretary-General of the Socialist Party (PS), José Luís Carneiro, following a meeting at the party’s headquarters in Lisbon with a delegation of African-origin students, refugees from the war in Ukraine, who study in Portugal and were notified by the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) to leave the country after having their temporary protection status revoked.
“Everyone generously opened their arms to these citizens who, while in Ukraine, sought protection in Portugal, especially these young students, we are talking about 54 students (…) who came under the international protection status. They were notified by AIMA to leave our country without even completing their studies,” lamented the PS leader.
Considering this a situation of “insensitivity and atrocious inhumanity,” the socialist leader committed, during this meeting, to raise the Government’s awareness on this issue by sending a letter to the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, who oversees migration matters, and to the Minister of Education, responsible for higher education, while urging Prime Minister Luís Montenegro.
“We call on the Government and the Prime Minister, because he is the first and most important person responsible for the Government, to understand the living circumstances of these medical students and for us, as a national community, to ensure the status promised to them when they fled the war while studying in Ukraine,” he stated.
The Secretary-General of PS further stated that these young people need a “humanistic perspective and a commitment from the Portuguese State and society” to fulfill the expectation that they would have protection in the country after fleeing the war in Ukraine.
On Wednesday, the Minister of the Presidency said that AIMA is notifying foreign students who fled the war in Ukraine to verify if they meet the requirements for obtaining a residence permit.
“AIMA is verifying the situation, if people are here to study and have the intention of continuing their studies, their destination should be a student residence permit and not temporary protection,” said António Leitão Amaro in parliament during the special debate of the Government’s proposal for the State Budget for 2026 (OE2026).
José Luís Carneiro was also questioned about the resignation of the president of the Local Health Unit (ULS) Amadora-Sintra following the case of a pregnant woman who died last Friday, emphasizing the “appeal to the Prime Minister’s responsibility,” whom he considers “the first and sole responsible for the Government’s health policy.”
