Foreigners have flocked to 'welcoming' Portugal. Why is it expelling migrants now?
CBC
With its warm climate, comparatively affordable living and rich culture, Portugal has long appealed to visitors, whether it's for a vacation or a more permanent move.
The southwestern European country was a top destination for migrants, thanks to its formerly liberal immigration policies and what was considered a top model for integration. It was consistently ranked in the Top 10 destination countries by the Migrant Integration Policy Institute's ranking system, which noted the benefits of Portugal's labour market and citizenship model, among other inviting qualities.
And people of all economic backgrounds have flocked to Portugal — from migrants seeking work and digital nomads taking advantage of an affordable location, to the sunset migration of retirees. Last year, the European Commission's department of migration and home affairs reported that more than one million foreign citizens lived in Portugal — the highest ever recorded in the country — accounting for about 10 per cent of the population.
So, the news last Saturday that Portugal's caretaker government plans to expel some 18,000 undocumented foreigners living in the country without authorization may seem like a sudden shift, with Prime Minister Luis Montenegro accused by critics of taking a page from U.S. President Donald Trump's playbook.
Montenegro didn't give a specific reason for the decision, but last year, when he toughened the country's migration laws, he said Portugal can't "have wide-open doors" and was prioritizing entry to qualified professionals, students, those from Portuguese-speaking countries and people seeking family reunion.
Portugal has been "sliding on a slippery slope for the past two years," driven in part by a rise in housing costs, where migration has become politicized and polarized by the far right, explained Anna Triandafyllidou, the Canada Excellence Research Chair in Migration and Integration at Toronto Metropolitan University.
"Portugal, unlike other southern European countries, was very welcoming in terms of ethnic and racial density. Suddenly these people were targeted because they were visible," Triandafyllidou told CBC News.
Still, she added, the government's plans to expel foreigners is "sort of unheard of for Portugal."
"This kind of rounding up and deporting people — it's very extreme."
Portugal is distinct from other southern European countries by maintaining its post-colonial ties, resulting in a migrant population that's racially mixed but with language and cultural commonalities, explained Triandafyllidou.
Most migration to Portugal has traditionally flowed from Portuguese-speaking countries, such as Brazil, Cape Verde and Angola, according to the Integral Human Development website.
In addition to that, there has been a "silent" migration of undocumented workers from South Asian countries, lured by the chance to obtain legal status in the EU, publications such as Foreign Policy magazine and Agence France Press have reported.
Under the previous Socialist government, Portugal had some of Europe's most open immigration policies.
Until 2024, when Portugal's centre-right government toughened some immigration rules, a widely used mechanism called "manifestation of interest" allowed non-EU migrants without an employment contract to move to Portugal and request residency after paying social security for a year.
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