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Portuguese Government Tightens Residency Rules and Gives 20-Day Deadline for Voluntary Exit; Decision Comes Ahead of Elections and Raises Criticism from the Opposition
Portugal has just confirmed the expulsion of more than 4,500 immigrants who had their residency requests denied due to irregularities or lack of mandatory documentation. The measure, announced in the second week of May 2025, is coordinated by AIMA (Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum) and was officially communicated by the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro. Immigrants from various nationalities, including Brazilians, are among those affected.
New Immigration Policy Tightens Rules for Residency in Portugal
According to the Portuguese government, the notified citizens have until 20 days to leave the country voluntarily. After this deadline, they are subject to what is called “coercive removal”, meaning forced expulsion from Portuguese territory.
According to information disclosed by the ECO portal, the initiative is part of a new guideline that marks a break from previous immigration policies, considered more permissive. “Portugal’s immigration policy has become regulated immigration, and the rules are to be followed,” Amaro stated.
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The decision is based on the analysis of 18,000 residence authorization requests that were denied by AIMA, for reasons ranging from the commission of crimes, lack of prior visa, and irregular stay in other countries, to absence of mandatory documents for legalization.
The Extinction of SEF and the Bottlenecks in Executing Expulsions
Since the extinction of the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) in 2023, the new immigration agency faces operational difficulties in executing coercive removals. Even with the announcement of the expulsion, the minister himself acknowledges the logistical and legal challenges: “Since the end of the SEF, Portugal has faced significant difficulty in executing removals,” Amaro said, blaming the PS and CHEGA parties for the non-approval of legislative adjustments.
According to the minister, the proposed immigration reform presented in the summer of 2024 included measures to facilitate the forced removal of illegal immigrants, but it did not gain consensus in Parliament.
Criticism and Accusations of Political Opportunism
The proximity of the legislative elections raised questions among parliamentarians and civil society members. The opposition accuses the government of exploiting the immigration issue for electoral interests, adopting a harsher tone to please conservative voters and react to the rise of anti-immigration rhetoric in Europe.
Despite the criticism, the government reaffirms that “non-compliance with the rules must have consequences” and that the decision aims to protect legal immigrants and Portuguese citizens who follow the rules.
End of Expressions of Interest Changes Scenario for Brazilians
The decision comes amid the definitive end of the expressions of interest system, which allowed the regularization of foreigners without prior visas, provided they could prove work or continuous residence in Portugal. The measure directly affected the Brazilian community, one of the largest among immigrants in the country.
According to AIMA, more than 400,000 processes were backlog, many with waiting times exceeding two years. The adopted solution was to create the Mission Structure for Recovery of Pending Processes, which has been accelerating analyses and issuing mass denials, such as the current 18,000 denied cases.
What to Do If Notified?
Immigrants who received the notification must leave voluntarily within 20 days. Those who do not comply with the deadline may be detained and deported. Still, experts indicate that, due to lack of infrastructure, most coercive expulsions are not executed immediately.
The advice for Brazilians and other foreigners is to seek specialized legal guidance, check the status of the process directly with AIMA, and monitor future government decisions.
Impacts and the Future of Immigration in Portugal
With over 1 million foreign residents in Portugal, immigration represents one of the pillars of the country’s population and economic growth. According to government data, more than 350,000 Brazilians live legally in Portuguese territory, and many work in essential sectors such as construction, health, hospitality, and technology.
The decision to expel irregular immigrants and make regularization more difficult could generate significant social and economic impacts, especially in regions with a strong presence of foreign labor.
It is still unclear whether new measures for flexibility may be adopted in the future. However, the episode marks a moment of rupture in Portuguese immigration policies and reignites the debate on the balance between border control and social inclusion.
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