A migration plan with stricter rules was presented this Monday by the government. The Executive is committed to making Portugal a country capable of receiving visitors, but with human dignity and in a more controlled manner. In the 41 measures presented, the key points were immigration regulation, attracting foreign talent, humanistic integration and institutional reorganization.
Viewing immigration as an “inevitable” problem for the country, Europe and the world, Montenegro ensures that the government focuses on responding to the failures currently occurring in immigration services: “No closed doors, no wide open doors (…).” Having over 400,000 people with pending regularization processes is synonymous with neglect,” he stressed.
According to the AD leader, it is necessary to restore the quality of services and put an end to some of the mechanisms that have turned immigration into “excessive abuse.” Thus, the presented plan takes into account both integration measures, which include the creation of additional shelters, and the reorganization of structures dealing with immigration.
Montenegro rejects any link between immigration and crime
The head of government also called for an end to the stigmatization of immigrants. “There is no direct link between our ability to welcome people and the increase in crime. We shouldn’t stigmatize the communities of those who come to us for help,” he says.
Government ends exceptional regime that encouraged immigration
The government ended the exceptional regime that allowed a foreigner to enter Portugal before applying for a residence permit, and announced the creation of a mission structure to streamline pending processes, estimated at 400,000 people.
The Migration Action Plan talks about “the end of the exceptional regime that now allows entry without rules, eliminating the established expression of interest procedure,” which is considered “an open door and the source of many unresolved issues.”
From now on, a foreigner with a tourist visa will no longer be able to regulate his status in Portugal by requiring an employment contract or other solution previously applied in the Portuguese consular network.
The plan thus includes “strengthening the response and processing capacity of consular posts identified as priority”, with the strengthening of 45 elements in 15 countries, a list that includes all countries of the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP).
Government wants to turn CPLP immigrant visa into public visa
The Portuguese government’s Migration Action Plan calls for converting the current mobile visa for immigrants from the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP) into a Community (Schengen) visa that allows them to travel within the European Union.
The concluded mobility agreement represents “an obligation that Portugal must not only comply with, but also undertake to implement the necessary improvements” in order to allow “access to the Szczegen space for holders of CPLP residence permits”, can be read in the document. .
In this sense, the government will administratively extend CPLP visas for one year, which expire at the end of this month, “to improve the monitoring of the liability conditions presented under the livelihood demonstration mechanism, in order to identify and combat possible fraud situations.”
The documentary and administrative part of AIMA has been transferred to PSP
The approved plan also includes the creation of a “mission structure with additional human, material and financial resources, made possible through emergency recruitment measures including AIMA staff, inspectors from the former SEF.” [Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras] and other specialists for hiring.”
The hypothesis of liquidating the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) was rejected by the Minister of the Presidency, Leitan Amaru. A few adjustments will be made: “AIMA’s goal is not elimination. AIMA’s goal is restoration and improvement.”
“Our logic is not to destroy everything. Whatever we do, we must do it and do it well,” said Leitan Amaro, announcing the creation of the Foreigners and Borders Affairs Department under the PSP.
Council of Ministers
Author: Sarah Reis Teixeira, Margarida Gaidao This Daniela Vilar Santos
Source: CM Jornal
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