Between Bureaucracy and Dehumanization: What Portugal Risks Losing With Its New Immigration Policy
A double-edged reform Portugal’s fast-moving immigration overhaul has two very different consequences that matter: it pushes vulnerable migrants toward precariousness and it erodes the confidence of high-net-worth expats who sustain quality demand in the mid-to-upper property market. What changed — and why it matters Parliament has approved a revised foreigners’ law after constitutional revision. The government now demands tighter entry, pre-screening abroad, narrower family reunification, and ends the in-country “manifestação de interesse” process. Critics say the humanistic Portuguese approach is giving way to administrative control. “Portugal abdicates the humanist model that once distinguished it in Europe,” — Expresso , 23 Oct 2025 Meanwhile, the Lisbon Administrative Court holds more than 133,000 pending immigration cases against AIMA, signalling severe institutional congestion. Even AIMA’s own data admit that roughly 15 % of daily appointments end as no-shows due...
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