Hundreds of people in Portugal demonstrated this Wednesday in Lisbon, outside the Assembly of the Republic, demanding "documents for everyone." This is a protest against the government's immigration policy, organized by the association Solidariedade Imigrante. Timóteo Macedo, its president, claims that police authorities, on the same day, also carried out raids on foreign communities in areas of the Alentejo region, in the south, which have a large concentration of immigrant labor.
The Lisbon Immigrant Solidarity protest in front of the Assembly of the Republic coincided with police operations in Alentejo which, according to the Lusa news agency, resulted in the arrest of two foreigners for illegally staying in Portugal, two men aged 26 and 27.
The operation carried out by the National Republican Guard in the municipality of Odemira, Beja district, in the south of the country, reportedly involved the inspection of 580 foreigners on several farms in Odemira.
Timóteo Macedo, president of the Solidariedade Imigrante association, dismisses any coincidence and denounces a supposed "state of terror" that immigrants currently experience in Portugal.
We're in a state of terror. Do you know what's happening right now in Alentejo, in Odemira? Dozens and dozens of GNR [National Republican Guard] and police officers, accompanied by the ACP [Authority for Working Conditions], are monitoring the immigrant workers working there, particularly in Vila Nova de Milfontes and elsewhere.
Therefore, persecution effectively exists in a state of terror, of fear implemented by these policies, which are effectively allied with the far-right, which is hunting immigrants. Knowing that today there would be a large demonstration, a large gathering in front of the Assembly of the Republic, for people to speak out, in their own voices, about what concerns them: immigrants, in particular.
This is no coincidence, and it's perhaps to prevent many people from Alentejo from coming to the demonstration in Lisbon. This is intentional. There are no coincidences here. Therefore, we are living in a state of terror, particularly regarding public policies aimed at immigration, which have to do with the Immigration Law.
Which has to do with the threat from the right and far right of this government that they will likely not respect all the Constitutional Court's recommendations regarding the changes they want to make to the Immigration Law. And later, of course, to the nationality law as well.
Timóteo Macedo, president of the Immigrant Solidarity association, confirms that immigrants want their voices heard , but believes that now sectors of the Portuguese population will be more actively supporting the demands of foreigners, following contacts established with public figures.
Immigrants want to make their voices heard. This is perhaps the largest gathering of immigrants ever held in front of the National Assembly. We wrote an open letter addressed to many public figures and received a great reception in just two days. Dozens of people signed up!
Portugal operates in contrast to what happens in other European countries: when there are street protests, most of the people participating are immigrants themselves. That's good. It's good that people show their faces and don't hide too much. But this time, we received feedback from many Portuguese people and expressed solidarity with the immigrants' struggle and the situation they're currently experiencing.
It's tragic that people can't reserve a place for their family. It's tragic that people receive notifications within 20 days. They have to leave the country. These are cruel policies. These are people who have been working here for years. People who applied for their documents, but it took more than two or three years to receive a response. This is an illegal act committed by the Portuguese state. In Portugal, they are more dictatorial towards immigrants. There is no solidarity in the government's policies.
It is worth noting that the Portuguese parliament approved the new Immigration Law on July 16 , with more restrictive clauses. However, the Constitutional Court rejected some of the provisions on August 8 , particularly regarding restrictions on family reunification.
The government is therefore obliged to revise its anti-immigration package. However, the executive branch of Luís Montenegro of the PSD, a center-right Social Democratic Party, should insist on restrictive measures on the entry of foreigners into Portugal.
The new Nationality Law could also be voted on this month.
Immigrants report the bureaucratic difficulties they face when trying to live and work in Portugal.
According to AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, there are 1.6 million immigrants in Portugal, around 15% of the population.