At the closing press conference of the Southern European Union (MED9) summit in Portoroz, Slovenia, Luís Montenegro emphasised the importance of immigration for the social and economic cohesion of the European Union (EU), stating that it is a "factor of economic competitiveness," but emphasised the need for regulation.

"We need labour. But we can only allocate good human resources to our economy if we have regulated immigration, if our borders have the necessary controls to integrate effectively, to give hope to those seeking job opportunities in Europe, and to prevent illegal immigration," he argued.

The Prime Minister also argued that illegal immigration should result in "the return of those who arrive in Europe" to their country of origin and called for "a fight against illegal networks, organised mafias, that are trafficking human beings."

Montenegro said that the southern EU countries present at the summit "are in complete agreement on the need to implement pacts on immigration," because, he added, "this will make the economy more competitive, with the absorption of the labour market we need and with the consequences that must be implemented for those who violate these rules."