Portugal is one of the European countries that is least successful in attracting highly qualified foreign talent. According to data released by Eurostat, in 2023, 89,000 residence and work permits were granted to qualified foreigners in the European Union (EU), of which only 26,000 were in Portugal. In neighbouring Spain, 370 such authorisations were granted. And in Germany, more than 69,000, according to a report by ECO.

“In 2023, around 89,000 highly qualified workers with non-EU origins will receive an EU Blue Card, a work and residence permit intended for highly qualified people coming from countries outside the EU bloc,” the statistics office reports.

At the other end of the table, Cyprus ranks as the worst, with zero EU blue cards awarded to highly skilled talent. At the bottom of the ranking are Hungary (17,000 authorisations) and Slovakia (24,000 authorisations).

Not far from these countries is Portugal, a country where only 26,000 EU Blue Cards were granted in 2023.

Just recently, at the Annual Labor Conference, César Araújo, president of the National Association of Clothing and Apparel Industries (ANIVEC), called for the regulation of immigration, making it clear that the country does need workers from abroad, but they must be qualified. “We do not want low-skilled professionals. We want highly qualified professionals who will help us with the transformation. We have to regulate immigration and bring in professionals with added value,” he stressed.