Portuguese Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, has announced plans for the government to expel about 18,000 undocumented foreigners living in Portugal.
This announcement came on Saturday, with Amaro stating that the center-right government would soon issue notifications for these individuals to leave the country.
Starting next week, approximately 4,500 foreigners will be asked to voluntarily depart within a 20-day period. If they choose not to comply, deportation will follow, according to Amaro.
Last week, he mentioned in local media that “Portugal needs to review its deportation system, which doesn’t work.” He noted that Portugal has one of the lowest rates of executing deportations in Europe for individuals ordered to leave for various violations, including security issues.
Amaro emphasized that these notifications result from violations of both Portuguese and European regulations. “A state governed by the rule of law needs to draw the consequences of what the law says,” he stated, explaining that the law requires granting a notice for voluntary departure within 20 days, after which forced removal may occur.
Portugal is set to hold an early general election on May 18. This move follows Prime Minister Luis Montenegro calling for the election in March after his minority government lost a confidence vote in Parliament and subsequently resigned.
