Marcelo: “Who deals badly is mistreated”

Visit of the president of Angola marked by the current in Portugal: the “disrespectful” law of foreigners.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa did not approve the new Foreign Law. He found “disrespectful” and the document to the Constitutional Court.

The next day, the President of the Republic spoke alongside João Lourenço, the President of Angola who is on an official visit to Portugal.

And it was a message: “We need each other and we know that we only won in treat each other well, because who deals badly is mistreated and, above all, loses the opportunity to treat well“It fired the Portuguese Republic at a press conference.

Without never talking directly about the law of foreigners, or without indicating whether the “target” of words was the government, Marcelo focused on what unites Portugal e Angola: “We are really together and we are Together forever. There is no matter of conjuncture, of a state of soul, at the moment, inspiration. ”

“We know that, in crucial moments, Angola has Portugal; As we told, for example, during the troika with Angola. In a moment of financial squeeze, even in the financial and banking sector, came the Angolan support and we did not forget that ”-referring to the Angolan investment in the Portuguese bank for about 15 years.

João Lourenço, president of Angola, stressed: “Never did relationships between our countries have had such a high level And what we want is to work to maintain this level and, if possible, improve. ”

Satisfied emigrants

Leaders of the communities of migrants Portuguese greeted the widening of the law of nationality to great -grandson of national citizensadmitting to understand the restrictions on immigrant entries in Portugal.

The amendments to the Foreign Law have already been approved by Parliament and are in the Constitutional Court at the request of the President of the Republic and, in September, the new Nationality Law, which provides for access to naturalization by Portuguese to the great -grandchildren, a diploma praised by two of the oldest elements of the Portuguese Communities Council (CCP).

Vasco Abreu, resident 40 years ago in South Africa, and Fernando Campos, emigrant in Venezuela, argue that changes to the law of nationality will be a factor of attraction for many second generation Lusodescendants.

“It’s another passport And another option that is linked to the origin of their families, ”said Fernando Campos, recalling that Venezuela was, for many,“ a final destination ”of those who emigrated in the 1970s and 1980s.

“Na Venezuela, We already have a very aging generation that, when I emigrated, has been very much off Portugal and now there is a concern to give nationality to grandchildren and great-grandchildren ”, because the children never asked the documents.

“There was a generational leap and there are many citizens who did not have access to Portuguese citizenship,” but when “there was the current political and social change in Venezuela”, in reference to the ‘Chavista’ regime, “people again felt the need to emigrate.”

And so, easier access to the Portuguese passport “is a good news ”, Said Fernando Campos, who would prefer that the requests for nationality had other motivations.

“I liked people to seek nationality Not by need [de emigrar]but by identity“, These.

After being born in Mozambique and returned to the metropolis on April 25, Vasco Abreu emigrated 40 years ago to South Africa and has daughters and granddaughters born in that country.

“The new law is welcome. I have no problems in my family, because we always deal with the roles, but there are many who have not done it, ”he explained to Lusa.

“My daughters and my granddaughters were educated in South Africa, they want to stay here, but at home we have always given the possibility of speaking in Portuguese,” a “language that is an added value” in the region, due to proximity to Mozambique and Angola.

“I am already renovated and I have the most arrival family in South Africa”, so “I don’t get a return [a Portugal] As a possibility in the nearest future, ”he acknowledged.

Understanding

Regarding the amendment to the Foreign Law, which requires the applicants of residence authorizations to work on a work visa past in Portuguese consulates in their home countries, Vasco Abreu admitted to understand the government decision.

“When I went to South Africa it was also a long process, I already had a work offer, I had to present the criminal records from all the countries where I had lived and had to wait,” he recalled.

“I think that It makes sense to tighten a little the mesh“Because” it’s inhuman to go to Portugal and then there are no working conditions or to have a home. “

And “illegal immigrants are exploited Because there is no conditions to receive them, ”said the Portuguese community leader in South Africa.

Fernando Campos agrees with the vision of his counterpart: “When I emigrated to Venezuela, there was demands and selection of emigrants.”

Immigration “must be controlled according to the needs From the country ”, but despite agreeing with a more restrictive policy, Fernando Campos warns of other risks.

“When things are very controlled, the door opens a lot corruption” And “a careful selection” can be exceeded by “illegal hiring networks or schemes.”

“We need labor” in Portugal and many of the least qualified works are done by foreigners.

“We too We went to countries to do things that the locations didn’t want to do”He recalled.