Romania largest source of immigrants in 2008
17/7/2010

Romania was the largest source of immigration in Portugal in 2008, with 53,000 Romanian nationals migrating to the country, more than Brazil (3,500 people) or Cape Verde (3,500), according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) figures released on Monday.

The OECD report on migration reveals that, in 2008, Portugal received 32,300 foreign migrants, a similar number to 2007.

Of these, 44% came from European Union nations.

Romanians were the largest group, 16% of the total – or 53,000 people, an eight-fold increase compared to the three previous years. Romania joined the European Union in 2007.

About 21 per cent of migrants came from Portuguese-speaking African nations, of which the largest group was Cape Verdeans (11 per cent of the total number).

Brazilian immigration fell 30% compared to 2007, to 3,500.

According to OECD figures, Brazilians still remain the largest nationality among Portugal’s immigrants (24%), followed by Cape Verdeans (14.7%) and Ukrainians (11.8%).

The current total immigrant population in Portugal is 446,000 – a 0.7 decrease compared to 2007.

Meanwhile, and as revealed last week in The Portugal News, the acquisition of Portuguese citizenship by foreign residents has more than quadrupled in the space of just two years.

Overall, Portugal was second only to Sweden in the number of foreigners per thousand inhabitants to whom Portuguese nationality was granted in 2008.

European statistical agency Eurostat has revealed that 22,410 Portuguese passports were handed over to foreigners in 2008, translating into an average of 51 acquisitions per 1,000 inhabitants, three fewer than the figure reached in Sweden.

Back in 2006, the year Portugal introduced the so-called Law of Nationality, only 4,447 foreigners were handed Portuguese passports.

Cape Verde (6,013) representing 26.8% of the total, Brazil (4,080 or 18.2%) and Guinea-Bissau (2,754 or 12.3%) were the most common countries of origin of people who acquired Portuguese nationality in 2008.

According to Eurostat, 98 percent of applicants granted Portuguese citizenship came from non-EU countries. TPN/Lusa

Edition: 1070

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