Portugal has become an “open-air prison” for thousands of migrants grappling with unresolved legal cases and the constant threat of deportation, according to Timoteo Macedo, president of Solidariedade Imigrante, the country’s largest immigrant association.
On Monday, marking one year since Portugal implemented stricter measures to curb migrant arrivals, Macedo delivered a stark critique of the government’s current immigration policies. Speaking to Portuguese news agency Lusa, he described the situation as “a state of panic, a state of despair” for many migrants living under the shadow of expulsion.
Macedo warned that this climate of fear is fueling organized crime and exploitation by unscrupulous actors who manipulate legal gaps and ineffective programs like the so-called Green Lane for Immigration—a scheme he claims primarily serves to “charge more to those who want to come.”
He also highlighted significant flaws in the process of renewing legal documents, which he says leaves many migrants unable to travel to their home countries or complete family reunifications.
“Portugal today enforces extremely severe policies toward migrants,” Macedo said, accusing the government of neglecting improvements in public services for foreign residents.
A Shift from Progressive to Restrictive Migration Policies
Once recognized for its welcoming and progressive stance on migration, Portugal has reversed course with its new Action Plan for Migration launched last year. The plan introduced 41 measures aimed at reducing new migrant arrivals.
A notable change ended the previous system that allowed migrants to regularize their status after contributing to social security for 12 months—even if they initially entered on a tourist visa.
According to the migration agency AIMA’s April report, foreign residents in Portugal nearly quadrupled between 2017 and the end of 2024, climbing from 420,000 to 1.6 million. This growth followed the implementation of the more open policies under the Socialist government.
Antonio Leitao Amaro, the current conservative immigration minister, described this period as “the biggest demographic change” in Portugal’s history, criticizing the prior government for enabling “irresponsible, uncontrolled immigration.”
Since the new restrictions took effect, AIMA reports a 59% decline in foreign citizens seeking residence.
Ongoing Struggles and Political Impact
Despite these measures, Macedo warned that migrants will “never stop fighting for their lives,” often resorting to alternative, unofficial routes to enter the country. He stressed that the lack of legal pathways to regularize their status “feeds exploitation and modern slavery.”
Macedo also linked the government’s tough stance on immigration, led by Prime Minister Luis Montenegro’s center-right administration, to the rise of far-right politics in Portugal. In the May elections, the far-right party Chega became the main opposition party for the first time, a shift Macedo attributes to restrictive migration policies that have “only benefited the far right.”
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