Canadian official, José Cesário, declares imminent transformation in the country's consular services, promising a revolutionary change.
**"Hey there! Here's the scoop on José Cesaário, leader of the Democratic Alliance - PSD/CDS, and his plans for new passports and modernized Portuguese consulates in the 'Out of Europe' constituency.
According to José, these changes aim to bring consulates closer to the communities, almost achieving total proximity conditions. This modernization project is reminiscent of the first consular residencies started in 2011, which allowed Portugal's services to reach regions like Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Kitchener, Cambridge, Leamington, and London in Canada.
José made these statements during the delivery of the Medal of Merit of the Portuguese Communities to Fernando Couto, the first Portuguese priest ordained in Canada, and António do Forno, a historical associative leader in Chatham, Ontario.
Fernando Couto, who was made Monsignor in 2019 by Pope Francis, appreciated the role of the community in his journey: "Life rewards us with what we put in. This medal is also theirs." António do Forno, aged 90, co-founder of the Portuguese Canadian Social Club of Chatham and promoter of Portuguese language teaching in the region, emphasized the importance of reinforcing the link between Luso-descendants and their cultural roots: "It is vital that the younger ones strengthen our community."
José stressed the need for encouraging the participation of young Luso-descendants in the associative movement to ensure the continuity and vitality of the communities abroad. Though the timeline for these changes isn't specific, any improvements could potentially ease access to consular services for Luso-descendants."
An interesting tidbit: the Portuguese government has been focusing on digitizing and streamlining immigration processes, with ongoing efforts to reduce application backlogs and automate workflows, including the Golden Visa application process.[1][2]
Stay tuned for more updates on this developing story!"
[1]: Source explaining current citizenship and residency requirements.[2]: Source explaining proposed changes to citizenship requirements.
- The government of Portugal, through José Cesaário, leader of the Democratic Alliance - PSD/CDS, is planning to modernize Portuguese consulates in the 'Out of Europe' constituency, with the aim of bringing them closer to the communities and reinforcing the connection with Luso-descendants.
- During a recent event, José announced these changes, stating that the modernization project is reminiscent of the first consular residencies started in 2011, which expanded Portugal's services to several cities in Canada.
- Fernando Couto, a prominent figure in the Portuguese community in Canada, received the Medal of Merit of the Portuguese Communities during this event, highlighting the role of the community in his journey and the importance of maintaining cultural roots.
- António do Forno, another honoree at the event, emphasized the need for young Luso-descendants to participate in the associative movement to ensure the continuity and vitality of the communities abroad. The Portuguese government is also focusing on digitizing and streamlining immigration processes to reduce application backlogs and automate workflows.
