"It is a State Budget that for the first time provides for the existence of a multi-annual recruitment plan for the security forces and services," said the minister, Eduardo Cabrita, in an address to parliament as part of the second stage of debate on the draft state budget for 2020.

The plan will, he explained, foresees the recruitment by 2023 of around 10,000 new officers.

He stressed that the hiring would be carried out according to departures of existing officers and "alterations in the operational model", with the police forces "scheduling in good time their hiring needs."

Cabrita stressed that the unions have already been consulted about the detail of the proposals.