Lisbon, April 24 — Portugal’s Minister of the Cabinet Office, António Leitão Amaro, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to issuing legal documentation only to immigrants who comply with national laws, responding to recent demonstrations in Porto demanding swift regularisation for all foreign residents.
Speaking at a press conference following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Leitão Amaro addressed the protest that gathered dozens of immigrants outside the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) offices. The demonstrators, calling for “documents for all,” echoed a message delivered by Pope Francis during the World Youth Day in Lisbon last year.
“We are moving forward with documentation processes, while simultaneously reinforcing security and control measures,” said the minister. “To those chanting ‘documents for everyone,’ we respond: for everyone who complies with Portuguese law.”
Leitão Amaro emphasized that the government aims to process applications with both “speed and justice” for individuals who meet legal requirements. He made clear that leniency in documentation protocols is no longer acceptable, particularly concerning background checks and biometric data collection.
“The days of overlooking criminal records or neglecting biometric data requirements are over,” he stated. “Disregarding the rules is unfair to immigrants who have made the effort to comply with the law, and to Portuguese citizens who do so every day.”
Acknowledging public concerns over delays, the minister said the government has listened and acted. He also addressed those worried about previous lapses in immigration control, promising that “immigration policy truly changed 11 months ago.”
According to Leitão Amaro, the current policy framework is now “regulated and humanist,” balancing order and compassion. He reported substantial progress in addressing a backlog of documentation requests, noting that much of the work related to 220,000 cases involving citizens from the Community of Portuguese-Language Countries (CPLP) has been completed, part of a broader pool of 440,000 total applications.
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