Immigration surge poses a significant test for Portugal's resources and socio-economic structure.
**"Hey there! Shocking news from Portugal, mate. Their minister's recently put the country's dramatic demographic shift in the spotlight, all thanks to a substantial surge in immigration over the past decade. This change is as big as it gets since the last century, he claims.
Over this past decade, the number of foreigners in Portugal has quadrupled, creating a rather stubborn challenge for decades, according to the minister.
People are now well-aware that Portugal experienced a time when anyone could walk right in, and the government, society, obviously not prepared to welcome them adequately," he emphasized.
He paints a grim picture of the past, recalling the inhumane treatment of newcomers and the sense of discomfort among the locals. A year ago, he presented the Action Plan for Migration to tackle these issues, encompassing 41 measures. One significant change was the scrapping of the "expressions of interest," a legal resource enabling regularization in Portugal without a work visa, widely used by immigrants.
"We moved to a more moderate approach, focusing on regulation, control, and integration," he explained. This strategy is crucial to prevent Portugal from becoming yet another divided society, stained by hatred and resentment between locals and immigrants.
Today marks one year since announcing the Migration Action Plan. The minister shares that much has been done, although there's still a long road ahead. He stresses their commitment to a "humanist, moderate" approach, unlike some other nations who responded radically and dehumanizingly to migration. The country must present solutions that work, resisting the temptation of extremism and fear-mongering.
Remember, the Migration Action Plan outlined several key measures, such as restrictive immigration policies, administrative overhauls, and extension of documents. Its impact and long-term effects on illegal migration and integration are still up for debate."
- Following the presentation of Portugal's Migration Action Plan a year ago, the minister reaffirms their ongoing commitment to a "humanist, moderate" approach in dealing with the increase in immigration, which has quadrupled over the past decade, contrasting with some other nations' radical and dehumanizing reactions to migration.
- The Migration Action Plan, implemented a year ago in Portugal, focuses on regulation, control, and integration as the key strategies to address the dramatic demographic shift, marked by a substantial surge in immigration, while avoiding becoming a divided society stained by hatred and resentment between locals and immigrants, as policy-and-legislation changes like the scrapping of "expressions of interest" are discussed in the news.
