Between 2023 and 2024, the number of people who immigrated to Portugal decreased by two percent, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). On the other hand, emigration of Portuguese citizens to OECD countries increased to 61,000 (an increase of four percent in 2023).
António Leitão Amaro, Minister of the Presidency, who is being heard in Parliament regarding the 2026 State Budget, stated that the idea that immigrants "parasitize social benefits" is also "false," recalling, for example, that they benefit less from the Guaranteed Minimum Income (RSI) than the general population.
When Parliament approved the reform of Portugal’s Nationality Law, it also voted on a separate but related change to the Penal Code. The two measures were debated together but approved as different legal diplomas because they operate in different legal domains.
1. What the Penal Code amendment does
The amendment introduces a new accessory penalty that allows a court to revoke Portuguese nationality from someone who acquired it and was later convicted of a very serious crime. The revocation can occur only if:
Lisbon, October 28 — In a tense evening session, Portugal’s Parliament approved the reform of the Nationality Law, reshaping the path to citizenship and stirring deep debate over identity, belonging, and politics.
The proposal was passed with votes from PSD, CDS-PP, and Chega, while PS, Livre, PCP, and Bloco de Esquerda voted against it. The bill now moves to the President of the Republic, who must decide whether to promulgate or veto the measure.
The PSD, Chega, Iniciativa Liberal, and CDS will approve today in a final global vote the revision of the nationality law, legislation that requires the favorable vote of an absolute majority of deputies, at least 116 out of 230. We will have a new nationality law", the parliamentary leader of the PSD, Hugo Soares, told the Lusa news agency.
Lisbon, October 27 — The Portuguese Parliament is set to vote tomorrow, October 28, on a far-reaching reform of the Nationality Law, a proposal that could reshape the rules of citizenship for thousands of foreign residents.
If approved, the changes would extend the minimum residence period in Portugal required to apply for nationality:
AIMA threatens to withdraw temporary protection and expel African medical students living in Ukraine from the country when the war began. “They don’t meet the requirements,” AIMA claims.
Despite this, the president of the AIMA Board of Directors revealed, on the program “Conversa Capital”, that the granting of residence permits registered a 60% increase this year, with more than 386 thousand permits granted.
The downward trend in the entry of new immigrants into Portugal, which was already recorded in 2024, will continue to be felt in 2025, assured Pedro Portugal Gaspar, president of the AIMA Board of Directors, in an interview with the “Conversa Capital” program on Antena 1 and Jornal de Negócios.
The bill, which introduces new minimum residency periods for obtaining Portuguese nationality, will now be voted on in plenary on October 28.
According to the approved text, the minimum period of legal residence in Portugal will be seven years for citizens of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and ten years for citizens of other origins.
The reform of Portugal’s nationality law now stands on shaky ground ahead of its final parliamentary vote, with the government still unable to guarantee the 116-vote qualified majority required for approval. Right-wing party Chega has declined to reach a full agreement with the PSD and CDS, while the Socialist Party (PS) has confirmed its opposition — leaving the proposal caught between divided blocs and fragile alliances.
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