Portugal to introduce national integration plan for immigrants

Portugal's Secretary of State for the Presidency and Immigration, Rui Armindo Freitas, announced that a National Integration Plan for foreigners will be presented soon. Speaking on the third anniversary of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), Freitas admitted that the country was unprepared for the high volume of immigrants, specifically noting deficiencies in the housing and healthcare sectors.

Freitas highlighted the administrative challenges caused by a massive backlog, noting that there were 500,000 pending processes in 2024. He criticized previous political decisions, including the end of the 'manifestation of interest' legal mechanism, which he claimed turned Portugal into a gateway for irregular immigration in Europe. The official emphasized the need for social cohesion to manage what he described as an uncontrolled immigration phenomenon.