Farmers defend immigration, housing deal to avoid worker ‘poverty’

The Portuguese Farmers’ Confederation (CAP) is advocating for a plan to attract immigrants, along with a housing pact that mobilizes empty buildings, otherwise Portugal could end up with a “shortage” of workers.

“The lack of a program to attract immigrants could lead to a situation of shortage of specialists in the future, which would have dramatic consequences for the companies that need them,” stressed CAP President Alvaro Mendonça e Moura in response to Luce.

However, the plan must include “clear and fast” rules on visas, employment opportunities, tax breaks and housing availability.

Otherwise, workers will prefer other European countries with higher wages and “more attractive” rules.

The former ambassador insisted that attention must also be paid to the housing crisis in Portugal, given that for many years the issue had not been addressed, “thinking that the issue would resolve itself.”

Thus, the CAP noted that the plan to attract immigrants should be complemented by a housing pact “that mobilizes all vacant central state and local government buildings for conversion into individual or shared and community housing.”

Measures have been added to provide for penalties for individuals leaving buildings for more than one year.

The government recently approved changes to the Aliens Act that put an end to expressions of interest.

It is also planned to strengthen human resources to support consular posts, particularly in responding to requests for temporary stay visas.

To date, CAP has not received any reports on the impact of these changes on the agricultural sector.

Alvaro Mendonça e Moura, however, acknowledged that there may be agricultural workers with employment contracts that have been paid into the social security system for several months and who may be affected by “the impossibility of regulating themselves as a result of this legislative change.”

However, CAP said that in these cases the government and AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum) would certainly know how to find a way to integrate the workers.

The CAP leader reiterated his concerns over the “poor functioning” of AIMA, stressing that addressing the issue of “pending regularization and family reunification processes” should be a priority.

On June 25, CAP already mentioned in parliament that it was necessary to think through a plan to attract immigrants from a social cohesion perspective, rather than simply control them, which, according to her, was also necessary.

Back in May, Álvaro Mendonça e Moura warned, also in the Assembly of the Republic, that AIMA had been “not working” for several months, asking for an increase in the resources of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.