Immigrants in Portugal exceed 1.5 million: number may increase
The immigrant population in Portugal has been growing considerably. The latest data from the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) shows that the number has already surpassed 1.5 million foreign residents, with estimates indicating that this number could reach 1.6 million once the analysis of the data collected until the end of 2024 is completed. This represents around 15% of the country’s total population, a significant increase since 2017.
Changes in the regularization regime
The drop in the number of new entries and regularization processes is mainly due to the end of the “expression of interest” regime, which facilitated regularization without the need for a legal visa. This change led to a reduction of 59% in immigrant entries compared to the flow observed in 2023.
However, the legislation in force does not prevent the continued growth in the number of immigrants, since many were already in the country and are now seeking to regularize their situation.
The importance of immigrants for the job market
Despite the increase in the foreign population, the need for more immigrants is still an important issue. The Portuguese labor market, especially in the accommodation, construction and catering sectors, has seen a significant growth in the presence of foreign workers, who now represent a significant part of the national workforce.
Portugal needs more immigrants
The Portuguese economy, according to experts, needs more immigrants to ensure its sustainable growth.
Recent studies, such as those from the Faculty of Economics of Porto, indicate that for Portugal to grow economically by 3% per year and reach a higher level of wealth within Europe, the country will need to attract and retain more immigrants.
The challenge lies in creating more efficient management of bureaucratic processes and in adapting resources to accommodate and integrate this growing flow. Read the full article on here.
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