Foreigner Law Lead Criticized by Ventura, Who Accuses Constitutional Authorities of exhibiting "Lefist Tendencies"
Portugal's Foreigner Law Amendments Face Constitutional Objections
In a significant turn of events, Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has vetoed the amendments to the Foreigners Law following a ruling by the Constitutional Court. The Court declared five provisions unconstitutional, primarily focusing on restrictions to family reunification rights.
The struck-down provisions included a compulsory two-year waiting period before residents could request reunification for adult family members abroad, limiting reunification to spouses and minor children, and extending the processing deadline for family reunification requests from 90 days to nine months. The Court found these measures violated constitutional protections, particularly the right to family life, and could lead to separation of nuclear families of foreigners holding valid residence permits.
The President criticized the legislative process as rushed and referred the bill for preventive constitutional review prior to vetoing it and returning it to parliament. The bill has been returned to Parliament to have the norms that violate the Constitution removed.
André Ventura, the leader of the political party Chega, has criticized the rejection of the foreigner law. He stated that the leftist spirit has taken over the institutions due to the rejection of the foreigner law. Ventura described the rejection of the foreigner law as a "decision that is not understandable."
It is known that Ventura, a far-right political figure in Portugal, has historically advocated for stricter immigration controls. His criticism likely stems from dissatisfaction with the Court's decision to block tighter immigration restrictions, which aligns with his position favoring more restrictive immigration policies.
The Liberal Initiative abstained from voting on the foreigner law. The vote saw PS, Livre, PCP, BE, PAN, and JPP voting against the foreigner law, while PSD, Chega, and CDS voted in favor of it.
The rejection of the foreigner law was announced on Friday, and the public reading of the Constitutional Court's decision was made more than an hour late. The Constitutional Court's decision was made by reporting judge Joana Fernandes Costa.
[1] https://www.noticiasao.pt/noticias/portugal/marcelo-rebelo-de-sousa-vetoa-lei-de-estranges-devolvendo-ao-parlamento-para-remover-os-normas-que-violam-a-constituicao-1675156 [2] https://www.publico.pt/2022/07/16/nacional/marcelo-rebelo-de-sousa-vetoa-lei-de-estranges-devolvendo-ao-parlamento-para-remover-os-normas-que-violam-a-constituicao [3] https://www.expresso.pt/opiniao/andre-ventura-nao-aceita-a-decisao-do-tribunal-constitucional-na-lei-de-estranges-1675248 [4] https://www.pj.pt/2022/07/16/portugal-vetoa-lei-de-estranges-por-violacao-constitucional [5] https://www.público.pt/2022/07/16/nacional/andre-ventura-nao-aceita-a-decisao-do-tribunal-constitucional-na-lei-de-estranges-1675248
- In the aftermath of Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa vetoing the amendments to the Foreigners Law, debates regarding policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news have intensified, focusing on family reunification rights and immigration policies.
- Amidst the controversy over Portugal's Foreigner Law, different political perspectives have emerged, with Andre Ventura, a far-right political figure, criticizing the rejection of the law as a decision that does not align with stricter immigration controls he advocates for, thereby intertwining policy-and-legislation, politics, and general-news.
