Brazil warned on Tuesday that it could act reciprocally if changes to the Foreigners' Law and Immigration Law proposed by the National Assembly go ahead, the 'Diário de Notícias' reported.
"If we fail to achieve greater balance in the treatment of our diasporas on both sides, it is expected that there will be greater pressure on Brazil to reestablish reciprocity, a fundamental principle of Brazilian migration policy," stated the Brazilian ambassador in Lisbon, Raimundo Carreiro, assuring that the Brazilian government is monitoring the matter. "From the outset, the Brazilian government has expressed, through diplomatic channels, its interest in legislative changes in the area of immigration and nationality in Portugal, conveying the concerns and doubts of the Brazilian community residing here, the second largest in the world."
Ricardo Lewandowski, Brazil's Minister of Justice, had already raised the possibility of reciprocity, with Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira meeting with his counterpart Paulo Rangel. "There, they agreed to convene a meeting between diplomatic and consular authorities to seek ways to address the justified concerns of the Brazilian community and to reduce or eliminate these differences in treatment in the two countries' nationality and migration rules," the ambassador stated. The meeting will take place on August 21st, "given the urgency of the matter."
Brazil is keen to address the potential consequences of the legislative changes. "We view the proposed changes with concern, as they deepen existing differences in the treatment of Brazilians in Portugal and Portuguese nationals in Brazil, both in terms of the requirements for granting residency and family reunification, and for naturalization. In our view, increasing these differences is contrary to the spirit of the Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation, and Consultation signed in 2000 between Brazil and Portugal," stated Raimundo Carreiro.
Currently, the daily newspaper reported, Portuguese citizens can initially enter Brazil as visitors, without needing a visa for short stays. Once in Brazil, they can apply for a residence permit with the Federal Police for 90 days. "The end of the Portuguese regime that granted similar treatment to Brazilians is one of these differences," the ambassador added. "The formalization of the prior visa requirement established by the Portuguese government, combined with the difficulties of the Portuguese consular network in meeting the demand for visas, further exacerbated this imbalance and the legal uncertainty of part of the Brazilian community that has not yet obtained immigration regularization."
As for family reunification, Portuguese citizens in Brazil do not need a minimum period of residence to make the request, "while the proposed changes to Portuguese legislation would result in requirements that could lead to waits of more than three years for family reunification."
To obtain nationality, "it provides significant facilities for the naturalization of Portuguese citizens, requiring only one year of legal residence and good moral character to obtain Brazilian nationality," the ambassador stated. "I hope that the Portuguese legislation currently under discussion in the Assembly of the Republic is sensitive to this issue, granting Brazilians equivalent treatment to that enjoyed by Portuguese citizens under Brazilian law," the ambassador stated. "There is a real risk that Brazilian institutions will challenge the current legislation that provides facilities for nationals of Portuguese-speaking countries, as a consequence of the immigration measures recently proposed in Portugal. Legislative initiatives along these lines could prosper, to the detriment of the interests of Portuguese citizens," he concluded.