The current government, PSD/CDS, promoted several reforms in migration policy, making it more difficult for immigrants to enter by eliminating expressions of interest – a legal resource that allowed foreigners with tourist visas to be legalized in Portugal – and facilitating the entry of nationals from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), while at the same time promising to strengthen consulates and new measures for hiring in countries of origin, the so-called “Via Verde” (Green Route) for business associations.

The director of the Portuguese Catholic Migration Works, which brings together many associations in the sector, lamented to Lusa that political uncertainty and the lack of adequate public services are placing “the lives of many people waiting for solutions that do not exist”.

“What we ask is that you stop instrumentalising migration for political reasons,” said Eugénia Quaresma, recommending that party leaders “talk to each other” instead of polarising their discourse to obtain electoral dividends.

Integration

“You cannot achieve the good of the country without considering immigrants” and “promoting appropriate policies”, he said, considering that politicians must look at what is happening in the rest of the world and agree on integration and reception strategies.

“Our emigrants are being affected abroad by the measures taken by the United States and there are already deportations,” so “it is important to sit down at the table and talk, without instrumentalising the issue,” he recalled.

The changes in migration policy were not accompanied by improvements in public services dealing with immigrants, which “need much more investment” from the Portuguese State, he added. “We have to work to improve the quality of services from the country of origin itself. We hope that consulates will function and that resources will be improved”, but, “at this stage, what we feel is that time has stopped and people have their lives on hold”, he maintained.

According to the person in charge, the Integration, Migration and Asylum Agency (AIMA) has “been more concerned with administrative regularisation”, instead of focusing on reception.

“Integration is part of AIMA’s name, but we still have some communication difficulties in fine-tuning the integration mechanisms,” acknowledged the Catholic leader.

Timóteo Macedo, leader of the largest immigrant association in the country – Solidariedade Imigrante – is very critical of this Government’s policy, which he considered “a social disaster”.

“Early elections are not desirable, but this is the reality and we hope that immigration is not forgotten”, so that those elected “respect the work of immigrants”, something that “has not happened”.

According to the association leader, the end of expressions of interest and the focus on work search visas, organized by companies, are “wrong solutions”, because they put immigrants in the hands of mafias and employers.

“These visas are sold on the black market by the mafias for more than ten thousand euros,” highlighted Timóteo Macedo, also criticizing the priority given to CPLP citizens.

“They are dividing immigrants into good and bad immigrants,” he accused, lamenting that xenophobia is growing and harming the integration of those who are here.

An example of this is the fact that family reunification is not moving forward, “despite the promises that are made”.

With more families united, it would be easier for immigrants to integrate into Portuguese society, but “they have been promising family reunification for four months and what is an inalienable right still does not exist: the right to have our family with us.”

Bangladeshi immigrants

Bangladeshi immigrants are among those most affected by this impasse and have seen their entry channels into Portugal closed. One of its leaders, Rana Taslim Uddin, laments the “radicalism” of the government majority in managing the process.

“The Bangladeshi community is concerned about migration policy, AIMA is very slow in responding. We do not care whether the government is right-wing or left-wing, but we want solutions,” said Rana Uddin.

“There are immigrants who feel insecure in their relationship with the State” and want a “clearer and easier law”, because “people work and want to have security”, he summarised.