From May 6, 2025, the Portuguese Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) will begin mass mailing notifications about the need to leave the country. At the first stage, 4,574 foreign citizens will receive an exit order within 20 days. Portuguese Presidential Administration Minister Antonio Leitan Amaru confirmed that this is just the beginning of a campaign that will affect about 18,000 people in the coming weeks.
Tougher migration policy amid growing immigration
The decision of the authorities is part of Portugal’s new migration strategy aimed at regulating the flow of foreign citizens. According to Eurostat, as of January 1, 2024, more than 1.3 million third-country nationals lived in the country, accounting for 12.4% of Portugal’s population.
It is significant that the country’s immigrant population has grown rapidly in recent years. In 2023, the number of immigrants exceeded one million people, which created a significant burden on the public services system. The increase in the number of migrants was accompanied by an increase in the burden on the educational system. The number of migrant students has increased by 160% in 5 years, reaching 140,000 people.
Leitan Amaru emphasized that the new policy is aimed at ensuring compliance with the laws:
“The information confirms that immigration policy in Portugal has shifted to regulated immigration, where rules must be followed, and non-compliance has consequences. It is important to clarify that these cases concern people who violate both Portuguese and European rules of residence on national territory.”
Categories of persons subject to deportation:
- Foreigners who have been refused a residence permit;
- Persons with a current ban on entry into the Schengen area;
- Citizens who have not provided the necessary documents for the consideration of their cases;
- Foreigners with violations of migration legislation.
Portugal in the context of pan-European migration policy
The tightening of migration policy in Portugal is in line with pan-European trends. According to Eurostat statistics, in the fourth quarter of 2024, 124,935 citizens of non-EU countries were ordered to leave the territory of the European Union. This is a 16.3% increase compared to the same period in 2023.
During the same period, 28,630 people were actually returned to third countries, which means an increase of 24.3% compared to the 4th quarter of 2023. Among the EU countries, the largest number of exit notifications during this period was recorded in France (31,880), Spain (18,645) and Germany (15,135).
Interestingly, Portugal has previously demonstrated a more lenient approach towards immigrants. In June 2024, the government extended the validity period of temporary documents of foreigners for 1 year, until June 30, 2025. A special structure has also been created to process the accumulated applications, which employs up to 300 employees.
The expulsion procedure in Portugal provides for:
- Notification of the need to leave the country with a 20-day period for voluntary departure;
- Possible simultaneous decision to ban entry for up to 10 years;
- In the absence of voluntary departure, forced expulsion.
The government’s decision has drawn criticism from human rights organizations, in particular SOS Racismo and Solidariedade Imigrante, who accuse the authorities of using the migration issue for electoral purposes ahead of the early elections on May 18. They note that among the recipients of notifications there are working people and taxpayers who contribute to the development of the country.
With the growing number of asylum requests in the EU (911,960 first-time applicants in 2024) and an increase in the number of pending applications, the Portuguese authorities continue their policy of introducing stricter control over migration flows.
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