By Sergio Goncalves

Migrants protest in front of the Portuguese parliament for rights and residency permits, in Lisbon, Portugal, September 17, 2025. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes Purchase Licensing Rights , opens new tab

LISBON, Sept 30 (Reuters) – Portugal’s right-wing parliamentary majority approved a revised bill on Tuesday that aims to curb a growing inflow of immigrants after the Constitutional Court blocked its previous version for being too harsh on immigrants’ family members seeking to join them.

All the left-wing parties voted against the bill, which offers a slight easing of such restrictions, addressing only the most critical points raised by the Constitutional Court, which could create further obstacles to its coming into force.

The legislation reflects the rightward shift in politics across much of Europe, as governments try to fend off the rise of the far right by being tougher on immigration.

The revision was proposed by the ruling centre-right coalition and has the support of the far-right, anti-immigration Chega party despite its initial objections to immigrants having access to social security payments from the moment they start contributing.

While parliament kept the general requirement of a two-year period of valid residency for immigrants to request permission for spouses to join them in Portugal, that period can now be halved for couples who were together for more than a year before moving to Portugal.

Immigrants can now also request that children under 18 or dependants with disabilities join them regardless of the applicant’s legal residency period.

Cabinet Minister Antonio Leitao Amaro said the revised bill “ensures that the right balance is struck – neither with doors wide open to immigrants, nor closed,” as the country seeks to control immigration according to its labour market needs and integration capacity.

“… but the time for an irresponsible (immigration) policy is over,” he told lawmakers before the vote.

The Iberian country of around 10.5 million people has seen a significant increase in immigration in recent years.

The migration and asylum agency AIMA estimates that more than 1.5 million foreign citizens were legally residing in Portugal last year, double the number three years earlier.

Brazilians are the largest group, with over 450,000 legal immigrants.

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. , opens new tab

Suggested Topics:

Read Next

ago United States category

ago Middle East category

ago United States category

ago Middle East category

ago Middle East category

ago World category

A Mexican immigrant wounded by a sniper in a shooting at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement field office in Dallas last week has died of his injuries, an ICE official said on Tuesday, making him the second detainee killed in the attack.

Site Index

About Reuters

Stay Informed

Information you can trust

Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the world’s largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. Reuters provides business, financial, national and international news to professionals via desktop terminals, the world’s media organizations, industry events and directly to consumers.

Read More