In his opening speech to the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, the Minister explained that the government’s objective has been to promote “regulated immigration to achieve humanistic and social integration” of immigrants, seeking to “preserve the dignity of those who arrive”.

In the last two years, the executive has eliminated legal solutions that facilitated legal entry into Portugal, such as expressions of interest, created the National Foreigners and Borders Unit within the PSP, and sought to “redirect the flow to the consular system” by hiring 50 technicians, because “there continue to be entries” into the national market.

In 2022, 14,000 work visas were granted, and in 2025, 70,000 visas were granted at consulates.

“By limiting the flows, by changing the rules of entry, there was a significant reduction in the flow, but within the law,” said the Minister.

“In 2023, 328,000 residence permits were requested and granted,” in 2024 this fell to around 220,000, and in “2025 this number fell to less than 60 per cent of that in 2023,” said Leitão Amaro.

This reduction was also felt in other areas, such as “social security registrations,” which had a “monthly rate” of 42,000 entries in 2023 and fell to “just over a quarter” in 2025.

“There are still new registrations: people are entering where they should enter,” and “they must have an employment contract,” added the Minister.

The executive’s policy has been to “close uncontrolled doors to ensure that well-regulated doors work, and this is reflected in these results.”

To those who say that the country needs more labour, the Government responds: “We cannot and do not want to tell employers that they can and should live in a labour market paradigm where they can use immigrant labour at lower costs without taking responsibility and without contributing to the also costly process of immigration”.

Business owners who opt for regulated migration solutions are required to meet “integration, training, accommodation and insurance obligations.”

According to the Minister, the regulated labour migration programme, also known as the “green channel for immigration”, received more than 3,200 visa applications involving more than 110 companies.