The new version of the decree approving the legal framework for the entry, stay, departure, and removal of foreigners from the national territory, which had been rejected by the Constitutional Court last August, was approved in a final overall vote after all amendments proposed by the parties were voted on in detail.

In the detailed vote, all amendments proposed by the coalition supporting the Government (PSD and CDS-PP) were approved, except for those that were withdrawn, as well as one proposal from the PS and three from Chega.

In today's vote on the decree approving the legal framework for the entry, stay, departure, and removal of foreigners from national territory, the PSD and CDS-PP parties opted to withdraw one of their proposals regarding the conditions for renewing residence permits within the scope of family reunification, and to approve Chega's proposal on the same topic.

Chega's proposal proposes that the assessment of residence permit renewals should not include social benefits, an aspect that the proposal presented by the PSD and CDS did not address. Although the previous point of the decree, proposed by the two governing parties, mentions that state support should not be included in the calculation of a family's means of subsistence.

This Chega proposal received favourable votes from the PSD, CDS, IL, and Chega, with opposition from the PS, PCP, Livre, and BE, and abstention from the JPP.

The PSD and CDS-PP also withdrew from the vote their proposals regarding the period of valid residence required to apply for family reunification, in cases where the spouses had lived with the applicant for family reunification in the year prior to their immigrating to Portugal, in favor of the Chega proposal, which changes the time limits.

Family reunification

In the proposal by André Ventura's party, approved today in its special section, the residence permit for family reunification is extended to 15 months—in other words, longer than the 12 months proposed by the PSD and CDS—but it now requires the spouse to have lived with the applicant for family reunification for 18 months (the government coalition had proposed one year).

The parties supporting the government also withdrew another paragraph amending the legislation to accept the Chega proposal, which clarifies that those applying for family reunification must have housing in Portugal—a proposal approved with votes against from the PS, Livre, BE, and PCP, and abstentions from the JPP.

Bilateral agreements

From the Socialist Party (PS), the two parties supporting the government allowed only one amendment proposal to be approved, concerning bilateral agreements with third countries to streamline visa and residence permit issuance procedures.

The Socialist proposal received votes against from Chega and IL, abstentions from BE, and favorable votes from the other parties.

The two largest parties approved more than a dozen amendments to the decree, with the overwhelming support of the right-wing parties represented in the chamber.

In addition to PSD, CDS-PP, Chega, and PS, Livre and JPP also submitted amendment proposals, but none were approved in parliament.