PORTUGAL: NEW LAW ON FOREIGNERS CLOSES DOOR TO CAPEVERDEANS
The new law on foreigners in Portugal turns off the tap for those who wanted to obtain a work visa, making it more difficult for immigrants to enter the country. For some, this is positive news, but for many Cape Verdeans who have always dreamed of mobility, this law creates restrictions on access to new markets and new growth prospects.
With the legislation coming into force, the job-seeker visa will no longer exist for CPLP countries. According to Lusa, Portugal has canceled these visas and created a new one for highly qualified professionals, with all appointments for work-seeker visas having been canceled as of last Thursday, the 23rd.
On the other hand, short-stay visas will continue to be granted to those who meet the conditions for tourism. It is important to note, however, that it will not be possible to convert this visa into a residence permit. Anyone trying to emigrate with this type of visa will face a difficult life in Portugal, without access to Social Security and other benefits previously guaranteed by the work-seeker visa. It will also make family reunification more difficult.
This change will inevitably lead to a decrease in the outflow of people from Cape Verde. Consequently, the next labor market statistics will force those who attributed the fall in youth unemployment to the stampede abroad to look for new justifications. They will certainly resume their rhetoric about the closing of borders and the humiliation of obtaining a visa, as the "song" of mass abandonment and an almost empty country loses strength.
Cape Verde has been setting up a robust vocational training ecosystem, with various career paths, and has experienced growth that reflects the profound economic transformation driven by tourism, foreign investment and assertive development policies adopted by the government. This trajectory reflects the transition from a fragile and dependent economy to a more diversified one, with an emphasis on tourism, financial services, infrastructure, telecommunications and renewable energies. Our young people must make the most of the potential offered by the country.
The concept of a country with few resources is now outdated. Cape Verde has enormous potential and our youth must make the most of it.
With qualification for the World Cup, we proved to the world that we have strength and can achieve our dreams. We must position Cape Verde in this new world of opportunities, making the most of our potential.
Our greatest asset is, and always will be, our people. Let's get to work, let's move towards development, let's all work together for Cape Verde's progress.
