Summary of the Main Measures of the Migration Action Plan

Yesterday, 4 June 2024, the Portuguese government presented an Action Plan for Migration, including 41 measures.

 Here are some of the key points of the Plan presented, which aims to regulate immigration but also to improve the integration of those who seek Portugal as a destination to live and work: 

Regulated Immigration

• Revision of Entry Rules: Extinction of the Expressions of Interest procedure. Decree-Law no. 37-A/2024 of 3 June amends Law no. 23/2007 of 4 July, revoking the residence permit procedures based on expressions of interest.
• Reinforcement of Consular Posts: Increased response and processing capacity.
• Prioritised entry channels for family reunification, young students and qualified professionals.
• Resolving pending cases and irregular situations by creating a mission structure to determine the more than 400,000 pending cases.
• Ensuring the Border Control IT System: Urgently intervene in the existing border control infrastructures, IT systems, and databases and make up for the delay in implementing the new border control systems (EES, ETIAS).
• International Commitments: Strengthening the operational framework of the CPLP Mobility Agreement, confirming and implementing commitments to resettle and relocate beneficiaries and applicants for international protection, and developing and implementing the National Plan for the Protection of Persons with Disabilities.
• International Commitments: Strengthen the operational framework of the CPLP Mobility Agreement, confirm and implement the commitments to resettle and relocate beneficiaries and applicants for international protection and develop and implement the National Plan for the Implementation of the European Union Pact for Migration and Asylum.
• Effective Reception and Return: Increasing the capacity of temporary installation centres and improving the return system, building new Temporary Installation Centres (TICs), ensuring legal and civil society support, establishing procedural speed mechanisms to be applied in immigration and asylum appeals and ensuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the return system, unifying these competences in the police forces.
• Enforcement: Create a multi-agency enforcement team to combat abuses (human trafficking, illegal immigration, labour exploitation and human rights violations) and audit the language assessment processes for obtaining Portuguese nationality.

Attracting Foreign Talent

• Human Capital: Implementing a system for attracting human capital in line with the country's needs.
• Recognition of Qualifications: Improving the process of recognising qualifications and competencies.
•  Vocational Training: Promoting training and capacity building for foreign nationals.
• Labour Needs: Survey of labour needs and alignment of supply and demand for foreign workers.
• Higher Education: Promoting the attraction and attendance of international students at Portuguese higher education institutions.

Humanist Integration that Works

• Increase in vacancies: More vacancies for asylum seekers and refugees in reception centres.
• Accommodation Capacity: Expansion of residential units and temporary accommodation.
• Professional Integration: Promoting the integration of immigrants into the labour market.
• Reception: Create Municipal/Intermunicipal Emergency Reception Centres for immigrants in cooperation with municipalities.
• Integration: Implement integration projects in very critical neighbourhoods under municipal coordination
• Education: Strengthening the teaching of Portuguese as a non-mother tongue and simplifying the equivalence process in primary education.
• Access to the SNS: Improving immigrants' access to the National Health Service.
• Investment: Creating instruments to channel private capital into social investment in immigrant integration projects.

Institutional reorganisation

• Creation of the Aliens and Borders Unit in the PSP
• Restructuring of AIMA: Reinforcement of human and technological resources.
• Decentralisation: Strengthening the role of municipalities and civil society.
• Transfer of competencies: In-person handling of residence permit renewal applications from IRN to AIMA.
• Migration Observatory: Reinstatement of this body to inform public policy.
• Reinforce financial support for immigrant and civil society associations operating in the sector.
• Strengthen local responses through the Local Support Centres for the Integration of Migrants (CLAIM).

This Plan aims to promote regulated, humane, and efficient immigration, guarantee the integration and utilisation of foreign talent, and strengthen the institutions involved in the migration process. 

For more information, consult the Plan at this link.