Who Gets to Belong? Immigration Restriction in Portugal

As the Portuguese government tightens its immigration laws, the definition of who gets to “belong” is being reshaped. Previously, the country was known and praised for its liberal policies, especially when it came to immigration. Migrants were offered opportunities to integrate economically and build stable lives. However, in the last year, Portugal has begun to restrict its immigration policy. Launched in 2024, the Action Plan for Migration tightened laws, limiting migration for non-EU citizens who have not yet secured employment. The May 2025 elections marked a turning point as the far right party founded in 2019, “Chega” [“Enough” in Portuguese] won the second-most seats, becoming the government’s largest opposition party. Since then, Chega has been advocating for stricter eligibility criteria in Portugal’s immigration process. One of their main arguments stipulates that there are too many immigrants entering the country on tourist visas, demanding residency and staying in Portugal. Further, Chega has used the domestic economic crisis as fuel for hatred against immigration, claiming that immigrants are an economic burden.

In June, Chega saw its first victory with a bill that heavily restricted access to residency in Portugal. In addition to fundamental Portuguese language requirements, foreigners must now demonstrate familiarity with Portugal’s culture, no criminal record, and a declaration of support for the country’s democratic principles. Further, citizenship can now be revoked for citizens convicted of serious crimes. The residency requirements have more than doubled, rising to 10 years for most non-EU nationals and seven years for citizens of Lusophone countries. Access to nationality has also been restricted, allowing children to be born Portuguese only if a parent who has lived in Portugal for more than three years submits a formal application. The bill is still to be approved by parliament, but with Chega’s support, it is expected to be approved. Thus, what does it now mean to “belong” in Portugal, and who gets to decide?

The push for these policy changes is linked to broader economic and social pressures in Portugal. Between 2017 and 2024, the number of foreigners in Portugal quadrupled, mainly due to the liberal immigration policies implemented by the country’s former socialist government. However, this happened with a government that was not ready to welcome such a high influx of migrants and tourists, creating a housing crisis in the last decade. On average, the price of rent has risen 94 per cent since 2015, and home ownership prices are up 186 per cent. This raise is not only unsustainable for most locals, but also for migrants, considering Portugal is also one of the European nations with the lowest average wages. 

In tandem with this economic crisis, as tensions between locals and immigrants have grown, so has support for Chega and its priority on restricting immigration. Chega’s campaign and anti-immigrant rhetoric have influenced a substantial number of followers to support immigration restrictions. A report by the Francisco Manuel dos Santos Foundation found 24 per cent of respondents overestimate how many immigrants are actually in Portugal. 68 per cent of respondents believed that immigration policy in Portugal is too lenient, and most see migration as a threat to their nation. This attitude stems from the party’s leader, André Ventura, who often makes generalisations about immigrants and promotes a hateful and hostile narrative against them.

Meanwhile, the discourse of the other end of the political spectrum is also intensifying this issue. Liberal parties often frame immigration as essential to Portugal’s economy, claiming a reliance on immigrants in construction and tourism have seen significant growth with foreign workers. Nonetheless, within these same industries, immigrants are often treated as “factors of production,” often paid well below minimum wage. This highlights a contradiction between the liberal parties’  positive rhetoric on immigration and the reality that immigrants are often treated as expendable labour.  

At the local level, this political manipulation has led to significant discrimination in Portugal, even for Portuguese-speaking Brazilian migrants, dividing linguistic communities. This hostility towards immigrants has reinforced Portugal’s systemic racism towards minority groups, many of whom claim they “feel racism on a daily basis.” The division has become so severe that the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance has urged Portuguese authorities to improve their response to hate crimes. This social divide between “Portuguese” and “not Portuguese” even reaches second-generation immigrants whose nationality is now being questioned by their own government. Therefore, this new immigration policy pushes both sides towards the political extremes and towards a hatred of each other, inducing an identity crisis at the national level. 

The rise of the far right in Portugal and harsh restrictions on immigration reflect Europe-wide tensions between liberal values and right-wing pressure on migration. Since the 2015 migration crisis, other European countries such as France and Germany have been tightening their migration policies with discourse against migration legitimizing harsh measures. This discourse stems especially from the “securitization of migration” concept, which frames migration as a security issue, rather than a humanitarian or social concern. This concept has, as in Portugal, begun to push European populations towards extreme sides of the political spectrum. Portugal, which previously distinguished itself through more liberal policies, has now started to follow the European trend. 

Thus, as Portugal establishes new rules of belonging, being “Portuguese” has become an exclusive privilege. Weaponizing identity by questioning who gets to belong fosters a dangerous “us” versus “them” mentality, which promotes discrimination in Portugal. Portugal’s abrupt shift in policy is not an isolated pattern, but rather a reflection of a recent behaviour among European nations. The continuous rise of Chega and its popularity amongst the Portuguese population remains concerning, as it highlights how European nations are now promoting more explicit nationalism and xenophobia. This development threatens not only freedom of movement but also the future of European national identity.

Edited by Allison Dera 

Featured image: “Documents for all” protest in Lisbon in April 2025, following the tightening of immigration laws. “Concentração “Documentos para todos”, Lisboa, Abr.2025” by Esquerda.net, is licensed under CC BY-S.A 2.0.