Portugal expands citizenship eligibility to grandchildren's grandchildren
In a surprising move, Portugal's Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, has floated the idea of altering the naturalization process through Portuguese ancestry.
This modification aims to grant citizenship to not just grandchildren, but even great-grandchildren.
Currently, the law restricts naturalization to people born abroad who have at least one second-degree ascendant (up to a grandchild) of Portuguese nationality. However, this law excludes the grandchildren of Portuguese nationals who lost their nationality during the decolonization process, as well as those of foreign nationals who became naturalized, implying a racial or historical bias.
The extended right to great-grandchildren is aimed at addressing the multifaceted Portuguese diaspora, particularly in countries like Venezuela and the United States where Portuguese descendants have been emigrating for generations.
Minister Leitão Amaro also proposed the termination of the extraordinary naturalization regime for Portuguese Sephardic Jews. This change, he argued, was necessary as it was intended as a historical reparation and its time has passed.
In terms of the diaspora's role, the minister stated, "We could never cut this bond and diplomatic capacity that our diaspora has," hinting at the potential impact of Portuguese descendants on their homeland's influence.
Additionally, the government is planning stricter immigration policies. This includes extending the minimum legal residency period to ten years for most applicants, tougher integration and language tests, and a no-criminal-record clause.
These changes reflect the government's desire to promote effective integration and manage the growing foreign resident population, which has nearly tripled since 2019, affecting approximately 15% of the total population.
Sources:
- [1] AlJazeera. (2021, April 23). Portugal rethinks Portuguese ancestry based citizenship law. www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/4/23/portugal-rethinks-portuguese-ancestry-based-citizenship-law
- [2] El Pais. (2021, April 22). Portugal alarga los tiempos de residencia para obtener la nacionalidad. elpais.com/elpais/2021/04/22/inenglish/1619220869_866985.html
- [3] Diário de Notícias. (2021, April 22). Governo abril tentativo de descriminalizar homossexualidade no contexto histórico do ensino em PORTUGAL. diariodenoticias.pt/noticia/governo-abril-tentativo-descriminalizar-homossexualidade-no-contexto-historico-do-ensino-em-portugal-6669465
- [4] Lusa. (2021, April 22). Governo pretende alterar regime de naturalização indígena e para judeus da diaspora sefaradita. noticias.sapo.pt/portugal/noticias/governo-pretende-alterar-regime-de-naturalizacao-indigena-e-para-judeus-da-diaspora-sefaradita-5550799
- [5] Publico. (2021, April 22). Governo pretende aumentar os critérios da naturalização Portuguesa. publico.pt/2021/04/22/governo-pretende-aumentar-os-critérios-da-naturalizacao-portuguesa
- The proposed changes in Portugal's policy-and-legislation regarding naturalization aim to extend citizenship rights not only to grandchildren but even great-grandchildren, addressing the Portuguese diaspora in countries like Venezuela and the United States.
- In addition to altering the naturalization process, Minister António Leitão Amaro also suggested terminating the extraordinary naturalization regime for Portuguese Sephardic Jews, indicating a shift away from historical reparations.
