Over one million foreigners lived in Portugal in 2023, as revealed by the Portuguese Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA).
Such a figure – the highest ever recorded – represents a 130 per cent increase compared to 2022, Schengen.News reports.
Referring to the AIMA’s preliminary data, Diario de Noticias reports that 392,000 more people received residence permits in 2023 compared to the previous year.
Foreign Population in Portugal Nearly Doubled in 5 Last Years
As further revealed, at the end of 2018, there were less than 480,000 foreigners in Portugal. In 2022, the number of immigrants went up to 800,000 and surpassed the one million figure.
Although data is preliminary, it indicates that the immigrant population in Portugal almost doubled in the last five years.
Immigrants make up about ten per cent of Portugal’s population and come from all over the world. More specifically, 182,000 come from European Union countries, while 858,000 come from other parts of the world, with a significant number from Portuguese-speaking countries.
In 2022, the Brazilian community emerged as the most represented foreign nationality in Portugal, making up 30 per cent of the total immigrant population.
Migrant Labour Serves To Strengthen the Country’s Economy
As further reported by the Diario de Noticias, the arrival of immigrants has a significant impact on Portugal’s economy. According to official data, 800,000 immigrants contributed over one billion euros to Social Security in 2022.
Immigrants received nearly €257 million in social benefits, resulting in a positive balance of their contributions totalling €1.6 billion.
Portugal Announces Stricter Migration Regulations
While the statistics indicate an increasing number of immigrant populations, the new Portuguese government is planning to introduce stricter migration regulations for all non-EU nationals.
More specifically, Portugal aims to limit the number of migrants by tightening its existing regulations in accordance with its new Action Plan for Migration.
This means that migrants who want to reach Portugal in the future will have to secure a job, sign a contract, and then enter the country.
As the Portuguese authorities recently announced, one of the changes will require non-EU citizens to secure an employment contract before immigration to Portugal.
This means that foreigners who intend to move to Portugal in the future will need to obtain a job and sign a contract before entering the country.
As revealed on the official website of the Portuguese Government, the Action Plan contains four main goals: regulated immigration, attracting foreign talent, human integration that works, and institutional reorganisation.
