The European candidate parties this Monday criticized Chegu for her position on immigrants, and the head of the Liberal Initiative list accused André Ventura’s party of “a hint of xenophobia and racism.”
Leaders of the list of parties with parliamentary representation competing in the European elections took part this Monday in Lisbon in a radio debate that will be the last before the vote on June 9, with the first half hour devoted to the issue of immigration. .
Following statements by the leader of the Chegi list, Antonio Tangier Correia, who noted that Vila Nova de Milfontes is home to half of the immigrants and that when visiting commercial premises there is “day and night pressure” and “threats” from immigrants to Portuguese shopkeepers, João Cotrim Figueiredo accused Chegu of being xenophobic.
“What Tangier Correia just did was to “say that there is” a problem of public order or even coercion related to immigrants, although it is reprehensible coercion regardless of the perpetrator, and don’t tell me there aren’t Portuguese who do the same . perhaps in several shopping centers,” said the Liberal Initiative (IL) candidate.
“The nationality of the perpetrator in this case is completely irrelevant, and linking one with the other seems to me to hint at the xenophobia and racism that permeate Chegi’s speech, that’s what we see,” he continued.
In turn, Catarina Martins from Bloco de Esquerda (BE) criticized Tanger Correia, who said that the “first step” was the regularization of 400 thousand immigrants “so that they can enter the labor market.”
“The 400 thousand people who are waiting for regularization are working, their regularization process is not intended to enter the labor market,” said the head of the BE list, noting that Chegi’s position “is a lie” and that you cannot “leave it.”
She also added that if the law was violated, Chega would have to report it, as she herself had already done.
“Chega does not fight for the institutions in which he is, but it is great to come to the media and pretend that people are to blame” because of their nationality, which is “unacceptable,” he concluded.
In turn, the head of the Democratic Alliance (AD) list, Sebastian Bugalho, believes that there is no excess of immigrants in Portugal.
“The problem is not an oversupply of immigrants that does not exist, the problem is an oversupply of immigrants that have not been regularized and protected,” he said.
I agree with Catarina Martins that most of the 400 thousand immigrants in Portugal are already working in Portugal.
“We cannot treat immigrants as criminals, at the moment immigrants in Portugal are victims of crime, that is the problem,” concluded Sebastian Bugalho.
The AD list chief also admitted that “ending political expressions of interest could be a useful solution to stopping illegal immigration” on the day the government unveils a plan on the topic.
PAN’s Pedro Fidalgo Márquez criticized the idea that immigration leads to increased crime, saying “it’s a mistake.”
The head of the PAN list also criticized Tanger Correia for making “accusations that have no consequences.”
“We must have a migration policy that, firstly, “focuses on streamlining immigration processes,” said Joao Oliveira, head of the CDU list, stressing that immigrants are being exploited.
Francisco Pauperio of Livre defended “open borders and security” and that this requires coordination.
“Without compromising the dynamism of reality (…), this recent reform has been in the right direction,” and there is also an institutional aspect related to SEF and AIMA – Agency for Migration and Refugee Integration that “needs to be strengthened.” “, said Marta Temido, head of the PS list.
“I categorically reject the idea that we are exploiting immigrants,” he added, citing the example of Covid-19 vaccinations being rolled out to everyone.
“What concerns me is that I hear, as I have heard in this debate, political candidates saying that there needs to be a destination for the immigrants who are here. Destination? Do they mind by any chance? I hear people say that it is necessary to have a cheaper Blue Card. This is what bothers me because it clearly shows what we saw,” criticized Marta Temido.
Regarding the blue card, Marta Temido referred to the position of Sebastián Bugallo on this issue, who believes that 3,000 euros is “too high” a salary.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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