This was one of the changes to the nationality law announced by the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, at the press conference at the end of the Council of Ministers meeting.

The Minister argued that this loss can only be ordered as an “accessory sanction, always ordered by a judge,” and for highly serious crimes.

"Not only in the abstract, but in specific cases in which the criminal judge has ordered an effective prison sentence of five years or more, for a range of crimes, which also include crimes against the State - such as espionage, terrorism, treason -, but also serious crimes against the person", he stated, citing as examples "homicide, rape, very serious offenses against physical integrity, situations of extreme violence and aggression against people and their freedom in national territory".

A government source told Lusa that this additional sanction will only be included in the nationality law and will not imply changes to the Penal Code.

The date considered for this sanction will be the criminal act and not the judicial conviction, added the same source.