(Adnkronos) – Portugal’s minority government has reached an agreement with the far-right Chega party to propose a new law that tightens the rules for foreigners to obtain Portuguese citizenship, authorities reported. A first vote on the law in the Portuguese Parliament is scheduled for today. The legislation extends the period required to acquire Portuguese citizenship, said Hugo Soares, head of the government coalition in parliament. “Today, Portugal joins the group of European countries where it will be more difficult to obtain citizenship,” said Chega leader André Ventura, adding that both sides made “concessions” during months of negotiations.
Chega became the main opposition party after last May’s elections, following which center-right leader Luís Montenegro returned as prime minister, but without a governing majority. Chega conducted an aggressive campaign against immigration, leveraging data indicating that, by the end of 2024, over 1.5 million foreigners lived in Portugal, almost four times more than in 2017, accounting for about 15% of the population.
