Portugal Government Agrees with Far-Right Party to Toughen Nationality Rules
The minority government in Portugal has secured an accord with the far-right Chega party to propose a new law that will make it more challenging for foreigners to obtain Portuguese nationality.
Lisbon, Portugal – Portugal’s minority government on Tuesday secured an agreement with the far-right Chega party to propose a new law that toughens the rules for foreigners seeking Portuguese nationality.
According to officials, a first vote on the law was scheduled to take place in parliament later the same day following this accord.The proposed legislation will notably extend the time required for individuals to acquire Portuguese nationality.
Hugo Soares, who heads the governing coalition in parliament, highlighted this change, stating that Portugal is now aligning itself with the group of European countries where obtaining nationality will become more challenging.Andre Ventura, the leader of Chega, emphasized that both parties had made concessions during the months-long negotiations.
He indicated satisfaction with the agreement reached, affirming that Portugal has joined a cohort of nations where acquiring citizenship will be significantly more demanding.Following the May elections last year, after which center-right leader Luis Montenegro returned as prime minister without a governing majority, Chega emerged as the main opposition party in parliament.
The party has been vocal in its criticism of immigration policies.
Their campaign has focused on statistics indicating that at the end of 2024, over 1.5 million foreigners resided in Portugal – a figure nearly four times higher than in 2017 and representing approximately 15% of the population.This agreement marks a pivotal moment as Portugal aligns its nationality laws with what appears to be an increasingly stringent European standard on citizenship eligibility.
According to officials, a first vote on the law was scheduled to take place in parliament later the same day following this accord.The proposed legislation will notably extend the time required for individuals to acquire Portuguese nationality.
Hugo Soares, who heads the governing coalition in parliament, highlighted this change, stating that Portugal is now aligning itself with the group of European countries where obtaining nationality will become more challenging.Andre Ventura, the leader of Chega, emphasized that both parties had made concessions during the months-long negotiations.
He indicated satisfaction with the agreement reached, affirming that Portugal has joined a cohort of nations where acquiring citizenship will be significantly more demanding.Following the May elections last year, after which center-right leader Luis Montenegro returned as prime minister without a governing majority, Chega emerged as the main opposition party in parliament.
The party has been vocal in its criticism of immigration policies.
Their campaign has focused on statistics indicating that at the end of 2024, over 1.5 million foreigners resided in Portugal – a figure nearly four times higher than in 2017 and representing approximately 15% of the population.This agreement marks a pivotal moment as Portugal aligns its nationality laws with what appears to be an increasingly stringent European standard on citizenship eligibility.
