Portugal has enacted a new law to tighten its immigration policy with support from the far-right.
The Portuguese Parliament approved a new bill that aims to strengthen the country’s immigration policy, backed by the right-wing government coalition and the far-right Chega party.
The amendments were passed thanks to the majority votes, which included members from the government led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, along with the crucial backing from Chega, the second-largest political force in the country following the recent legislative elections in May 2025.
The new law stipulates that work visas will be granted exclusively to high-skilled immigrants, imposes stricter conditions on family reunification, and ends privileges that were previously granted to certain nationalities, particularly Brazilians, who will no longer benefit from regularization mechanisms upon entering the country. The parliament also approved the establishment of a new unit within the national police, dedicated to combating irregular migration and organizing the deportation of undocumented migrants.
The aspect concerning the restriction of conditions for obtaining Portuguese citizenship is still under discussion in Parliament, amid legal reservations regarding several proposed clauses. This law represents one of the most significant measures adopted by Montenegro’s government since it took power in 2024, as part of a comprehensive review of the immigration policy that was previously deemed flexible during the Socialist Party’s administration.
The government has repealed a provision from a 2018 law that allowed the regularization of migrants’ legal status after one year of work and contributions to social security, even if they entered the country on a tourist visa. Official data indicates that the number of migrants residing in Portugal reached approximately 1.55 million by the end of 2024, accounting for 15% of the country’s total population, compared to around 400,000 in 2017.
The new law has elicited mixed reactions within the legislature, with Socialist Party MP Pedro Delgado Alves declaring that the government has become “hostage to the far-right,” while Chega MP Vanessa Barata defended the new amendments, accusing the former Socialist Party of promoting a “reckless” migration policy over the past years.
