Immigrants' pivotal role in society spotlighted by the President
Portugal's Head of State, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, underscored the substantial economic role of the nation's immigrant population, estimated to be approximately 1.5 to 1.6 million. He emphasized their presence is critical in various sectors.
Warnings against potential errors were issued by President de Sousa, who also highlighted the need to consider the number of immigrants, beyond the initial 4,500 slated for voluntary departure, who may be forced to leave as a result of new immigration laws.
He acknowledged the potential impact on those affected, whether they number in the thousands or tens of thousands, emphasizing that every departure represents a human cost. However, he made it clear that such figures should not be interpreted as a call for immigration from Portugal to cease entirely.
Such a proposal, he asserted, would lead to economic and societal catastrophe given the significant number of immigrants supporting various economic sectors, potentially amounting to a million or more people. He deemed generalizations about the necessity of eliminating immigration senseless.
Current developments include the Portuguese government's continuing migrant expulsion plan, with over 4,500 immigrants facing the possibility of expulsion if they fail to comply with voluntary departure notifications[1]. Furthermore, the rejection of residential permit applications has led to these expulsion proceedings[5].
- President de Sousa indicated that general news about potential changes in Portugal's immigration laws could have a substantial impact on the nation's immigrant population, which plays a critical role in various sectors.
- In a recent statement, Portugal's Head of State also addressed the politics surrounding the nation's immigrant population, cautioning against inaccurate reports about a proposed halt to immigration, as it would lead to an economic and societal crisis given the significant number of immigrants supporting various sectors.
