The debate on the government’s proposed law concerning the legal regime for the entry, stay, exit, and expulsion of foreigners from national territory began tensely after an opening statement by the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro. Frequent interruptions from PSD, Chega, and CDS-PP benches, requesting documents to illustrate their positions’ coherence, marked the session.
Diogo Pacheco de Amorim of Chega, presiding over the session, repeatedly called for silence, eventually raising his voice, saying, “This is unmanageable: if this continues, I will have to interrupt the session.”
With proceedings eventually calming, he warned, “I know it’s Friday, almost the weekend, but I will stop the session until five or six in the afternoon if necessary.”
The government’s proposal aims to restrict work-seeking visas to “highly qualified activities,” limit family regrouping, and change residency permit conditions for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries.
The proposed family regrouping limitations faced significant criticism from left-wing parties.
PS deputy Isabel Moreira cited Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s words at the European Council advocating for family reunification as essential for immigrant integration, questioning the rationale behind the new restrictions.
“The new normal is waking up to government proposals echoing Chega’s,” she criticized, querying the logic of allowing minor reunification without parents.
BE’s coordinator, Mariana Mortágua, condemned the proposal, highlighting its potential to reunite children while “deporting mothers,” calling it “shameful.”
“You think you can win votes from Chega by stealing their policy? You sold your soul and are already defeated,” she challenged the PSD deputies.
Similarly, Livre’s spokesperson, Rui Tavares, addressed another aspect of the government’s proposal, which allows Residence Permit for Investment holders (golden visas) to request family regrouping without the two-year wait imposed on others.
“For you, nationality is worth half a million euros, exposing the right-wing’s total hypocrisy,” he claimed.
PCP’s parliamentary leader, Paula Santos, accused the government of regressive measures that only “increase illegal immigration and allow the government to continue its demagoguery.”
Inês Sousa Real of PAN labeled the government’s stance on family regrouping as inhumane and cruel, questioning “where are the parties who champion family values.”
On the right, former IL leader Rui Rocha accused the left of hypocrisy: “They do not take responsibility and criticize those attempting to put out the fire they started.”
PSD’s Nuno Gonçalves defended the government’s pragmatic proposal, echoing CDS-PP’s parliamentary leader Paulo Núncio.
Chega leader André Ventura maintained his party’s stance against perceived threats from foreign ministers on reciprocal entry restrictions for Portuguese emigrants.
In closing, Deputy Secretary of State Rui Armindo Freitas responded to criticism of family reunification limits. “We want to end the hypocrisy in this matter: on paper, the right was for everyone, but they were left to their own devices. We want families together, yes, but dignified and autonomous.”
