Angolan president João Lourenço echoes concerns raised by Brazil
Angola has now stepped into the ‘furore’ swirling over changes to Portugal’s foreigners law.
Just as President Marcelo ‘hears’ parties ahead of making a decision whether or not to ‘promulgate’ the changes into law – and CHEGA leader André Ventura has already ‘let slip’ that it is 99.9% certain that the head of state will be sending the changes for perusal by the Constitutional Court – Angola’s president João Lourenço enters the debate, citing “constructive concern”.
“There is indeed a constructive concern”, he said in interview with TVI/ CNN Portugal. “Brazil had the courage to express this concern. We have remained silent so far, but it’s clear that we’re following the situation very closely.”
João Lourenço acknowledged Portugal’s sovereignty in immigration matters: “You welcome only the people you choose into your home. Portugal itself is a country of citizens who emigrate a lot, and that’s nothing new (…) Therefore, the Portuguese have emigrated all over the world, and the least we can ask is that Portugal treat immigrants who have chosen Portugal as a destination to make their lives at least as well as the welcoming countries treated them over the years.”
This is a point that has already been made by the coordinator of the CCP (Youth Commission of the Council of Portuguese Communities), João Pereira. In his view, the expectation that immigrants should embrace Portuguese culture shows the “total incoherence” of contemporary Portuguese society which has always taken for granted the fact that Portuguese emigrés abroad maintain national traditions.
The particular relevance of João Lourenço’s comments this week is that the Angolan president is arriving in Portugal on Friday for a three-day official visit. It is also the point at which Portugal’s own president’s decision on whether or not to rubber-stamp the government’s amendments will be known.
Asked during the interview if he would be discussing the law during his three-day visit, Lourenço replied: “I think so. We, Angola, have immigrants in Portugal, and in my current position as acting president of the African Union, I have to speak for Africans in general in some way.
“And there are many Africans of different nationalities who have chosen Portugal”.
Regarding the withdrawal of visa advantages for citizens from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP)*, Lourenço did not beat about the bush. It is the duty of the organisation’s member states, he said, “to do everything possible to ensure this does not happen”.
“Therefore, we will all work together, including Portugal, to strengthen this great community project that is the CPLP and keep it thriving,” he concluded.
One interesting part of the interview was that the Angolan president suggested “we should adhere closely to international practice in terms of immigration (…) If we take into account that today it is some people, tomorrow it will be others. Or in the past, it was others. Portugal itself is a country of citizens who frequently emigrate. And this is not a recent phenomenon (…) So this is, in very general terms, the appeal we are making to Portugal because, with a few rare exceptions, all countries have immigrants,” he said – which of course is true, but many countries are starting to clamp-down on the ease with which immigrants have been able to enter them.
* The government’s proposals are for citizens from CPLP countries who wish to apply for Portuguese residency being required to already have a visa for this purpose when they enter the country. Right now, any CPLP citizen can arrive in this country as a tourist/ on a short-stay visa and apply for residency.
Source material: Lusa
