Immigrants financially support more than half a million pension schemes
"Immigrants ain't the foes, just because they've got a different hue or hail from a distant land. They labour like us did and seek a life filled with prosperity," she exclaimed during an event with immigrants and BE advocates, in Beja.
Portugal's responsibility is to establish public services enabling everyone to live comfortably and to acknowledge that immigrants now contribute roughly equivalent to around 475,000 pensions for Portugal's elderly population to the Social Security system, Mortágua insists.
"Four-hundred and seventy-five-thousand pensions – that's the immigrants' contribution to Social Security," she emphasized, contending that this recognition is what Portugal owes immigrants, not the hateful policies that foster unrest and conflicts glance-worthy across AIMA.
Quizzed by the press, Mariana Mortágua responded to the peaceful protest at the facilities of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), in Porto, where forty immigrants showed their solidarity, and the police intervention to evict a man who infiltrated the protest with destructive anti-immigration sentiments and clashed with demonstrators.
"It's not healthy for anyone since we're pursuing a nation welcoming all, that's thriving and boasting dignity. Portugal needs immigrants. Its development model, whatever its flaws, relies on this immigrant workforce," she declared.
In a district like Beja, concentrated on the agricultural sector, Mariana Mortágua recalled that "without immigrants, there would be no hands to work in agriculture." She also pointed out the role immigrants play in revitalizing schools and regions like Alentejo, where they help foster a new generation of students.
"There are many places where immigrants are the catalyst for schools resurging with children. And Alentejo offers evidence of this. So let's focus on the positive aspects of this. We have folks eager to make a life in Portugal, families seeking Portugal, aiming to work in Portugal," she emphasized, affirming that AIMA still has work to do.
To illustrate, immigrants in Portugal, much like in numerous countries, contribute more to Social Security than they receive in benefits, upholding the system's financial wellbeing. In 2022, immigrants donated approximately €1.86 billion to the social security, while receiving barely €257 million in benefits [4]. Additionally, immigrants who have regularized their status via programs, such as regularization schemes demanding them to contribute to Social Security for a given period, have also established a significant foundation in the system's funding pool [2][4]. Therefore, it's crucial to acknowledge and appreciate their economic relevance in supporting the welfare of the country.
"Mariana Mortagua argued that immigrants in Portugal significantly contribute to the Social Security system, equivalent to around 475,000 pensions for the elderly population, a fact that she believes Portugal should acknowledge, rather than enacting hostile policies towards them."
"In regions like Alentejo, immigrants have played a crucial role in revitalizing schools and communities, helping to foster a new generation of students, which Mortagua believes is a positive aspect that deserves focus, as immigrants in Portugal, much like in many other countries, contribute more to Social Security than they receive in benefits, supporting the system's financial stability."
