Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro has made big changes to the country’s immigration rules, aiming to stop what he calls a “wide-open doors” approach. The new rules, which started on June 3rd, 2024, cancel a key policy. This policy let non-EU migrants come to Portugal without a job contract. They could then apply for residency after paying social security for a year. But now, migrants must have a job contract before moving to Portugal.
These changes mark a shift in one of Europe’s most liberal immigration regimes, reflecting a broader political move to the right within Portugal. Border restrictions have become a central issue, with the newly elected Prime Minister emphasizing the need to curb what he sees as “excessive abuse” of Portugal’s welcoming stance towards migrants.
Portugal has seen its foreign population double over the past five years, with many migrants coming from Asia to work in agriculture and the hospitality industry. According to government data, the country now hosts about one million foreign nationals, accounting for roughly 10% of its total population. Last year alone, 180,000 migrants were regularized.
Prime Minister Montenegro highlighted that there are currently around 400,000 pending regularization applications. He stressed the importance of balanced immigration, stating, “We need people in Portugal willing to help us build a fairer and more prosperous society. But we cannot go to the other extreme and have wide-open doors.”