Portugal immigrant numbers soar past previous estimates
Portuguese authorities have discovered that the number of immigrants in the country has exceeded previous estimates by more than 50,000, as revealed by the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA).
At the beginning of the year, Portuguese authorities reported hosting over 1.5 million immigrants. However, the latest data from the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA), indicates that this number is over 50,000 higher. Currently, there are approximately 1.6 million immigrants in Portugal.
AIMA explained that the data for 2024 did not account for over 50,000 immigrants already on Portuguese territory in the first half of the previous year. Officials acknowledge that they are unsure whether the current estimates include all individuals arriving in the country.
Immigrants now constitute nearly 15 percent of Portugal's population. The most significant influx was recorded during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, in 2020, 600,000 immigrants were living in Portugal. By 2023, this number had increased to 1.3 million; the following year, it grew by nearly 300,000.
According to the AIMA report, in recent years, the largest groups of immigrants have come from Brazil, India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Nepal.
"Fast track" for residency legalization
Portugal has approved a program for the so-called fast track for residency legalization. The regulations came into effect in April and allow for the swift legal adjustment of immigrants' statuses. Employers are expected to be involved in the process, submitting applications on behalf of the immigrants they employ.
According to the new regulations, employers must provide training for the foreign nationals they employ, including both professional and language training. An essential requirement is to give the immigrant's residential address, which must be in Portugal. Estimates suggest that more than 400,000 immigrants are awaiting residency legalization in the country.
