Portugal's deportation drive: 18,000 face imminent expulsion
The Portuguese government has initiated deportation procedures for 18,000 illegal immigrants, primarily from Central Asia. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro assures that these actions are not related to the upcoming parliamentary elections.
What do you need to know?
- The Portuguese government has begun deportation procedures for illegal immigrants, most of whom are citizens of Central Asian countries.
- Deportations will be conducted in stages, with the first stage involving over 4,500 individuals who are expected to leave the country within 20 days.
The Portuguese government, led by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, started deportation procedures for 18,000 illegal immigrants on Monday. The majority of them are citizens of Central Asian countries.
Who will be deported from Portugal?
Deportations will be carried out in stages. The first stage, which is set to end in May, will see over 4,500 people receiving notifications to leave Portugal within 20 days.
In the following weeks, an additional 13,500 people are expected to receive similar notifications.
Why must immigrants leave Portugal?
Among the 18,000 people whose applications for resident status were rejected, the majority are citizens of Central Asia. Their applications were turned down due to a lack of required documents. Over 75% of them are citizens of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal, as specified by the representative of the Portuguese government, António Leitão Amaro.
The Prime Minister emphasised that this process is not related to the upcoming parliamentary elections, despite accusations from the opposition that these actions are part of an election campaign.
