EU out of decision on Portuguese nationality

The European Commission ruled out, this Friday, any interference in the Government's decision to extend the deadline for obtaining Portuguese nationality and assured that the Pact on Migration and Asylum implies greater solidarity among member states.

In response to Lusa, on the occasion of the visit to Lisbon of the European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration, Magnus Brunner, a spokesperson for the European Commission, recalled that it is “the responsibility of each member state to establish the conditions for acquiring and losing their nationality”.

In April, the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, defended the extension of the current minimum period of legal residence in the country – five years – considering that such a short period, compared to other European countries, has a calling effect on immigrants seeking the Schengen area.

This is “a discussion that we want to have with Portuguese society”, said the minister, who has now been reappointed in the XXV Constitutional Government, maintaining responsibility for immigration.

“The Commission will not interfere in the exercise of this competence by Member States,” a spokesperson said, stressing that “the EU remains a safe haven for people forced to flee their homes due to persecution, war, conflict or natural disasters”.

However, “it is up to us – and not the smugglers – to decide who comes to the European Union and under what circumstances”, the spokesperson stressed, recalling that the latest Frontex figures on irregular arrivals show “a decrease on the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic routes”.

“As for the latest arrivals in Portugal, we are closely monitoring the situation and continue to support the Portuguese authorities at operational and financial level and through increased cooperation with key partner countries,” the Commission said.

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The recently approved Pact on Migration and Asylum allows for a “fair and firm migration management system, which must be comprehensive and have strong border management, an internal dimension based on solidarity and responsibility between member states and an external dimension, including comprehensive partnerships with third countries”, the institution’s response reads.

Portugal has quadrupled the number of immigrants in recent years and many intend to emigrate to the European area once they have obtained nationality or are regularized, creating pressure on partner countries.

With the pact, “the EU will have a permanent mandatory solidarity mechanism, no member state will be left alone under pressure”, promises the commission, in its response to Lusa

Furthermore, he adds, “each member state will contribute to solidarity efforts in a flexible way and will be able to choose the type of solidarity it provides”, especially because the “system will also include effective rules to detect and prevent secondary movements”.

Therefore, according to the European Commission, the implementation of the pact is a fundamental priority for next year, with it expected to come into force in mid-2026.