Portugal approves project that makes immigration difficult and affects Brazilians

Proposal needs to be approved by president. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has 20 days to sanction the project.

Brazilian community is the most affected

Brazilians who immigrated to Portugal represent the largest foreign group in the country. Brazilian community in Portuguese territory total 500,000, according to Itamaraty, and represents the largest force of immigrant workers.

Symptom of the constant increase of the population is xenophobia. According to data from AIMA (agency for migration and asylum) and CICDR (Commission for Equality and Against Racial Discrimination), there was a 30% increase in xenophobia complaints between 2022 and 2024. In 2024, 150 of the registered cases involved Brazilians, which means a 20% increase over the previous year.

Applicants will have to live longer in Portuguese territory to ask for citizenship

To ask for Portuguese citizenship, time to stay in the country increases. If the immigrant comes from a Lusophone country, it will be necessary to live for, at least seven years in the country. Before the deadline was five years.