Portugal Tightens Immigration Laws Amid Political Shift

Portugal's parliament approved a revised immigration bill, easing some restrictions while maintaining a tough stance. This comes after the Constitutional Court's feedback and aligns with a European shift to stricter immigration. The bill has divided political parties and aims to balance immigration according to labor market needs.

Portugal's right-wing parliamentary majority passed a revised immigration bill this Tuesday, aiming to control the growing influx of immigrants. The bill comes after the Constitutional Court blocked the previous version for being too stringent on immigrants' families.

All left-wing parties opposed the bill, which offers minor relaxations in response to court concerns, but further barriers might hinder its implementation. The legislation reflects Europe's political shift to the right, attempting to stave off far-right growth with tougher immigration policies.

The revised bill, backed by the ruling centre-right coalition and the far-right Chega party, maintains a two-year residency requirement for spousal immigration but allows a reduced period for couples with over a year of prior cohabitation. Immigrants can also bring children and dependants despite residency status. Minister Antonio Leitao Amaro emphasized balancing immigration to fit Portugal's labor market and integration capacity. The country, with 10.5 million people, faced significant immigration increases recently.

(With inputs from agencies.)