Portugal open to workers with jobs and housing, minister says

Portugal will make entry “very easy” for immigrants who have conditions to work, notably a job and housing, Economy and Territorial Cohesion Minister Manuel Castro Almeida said on Wednesday, signalling that the government wants migration to support a labour market he described as close to full employment.

Speaking to reporters in Gavião, in the Portalegre district, the minister said there was “almost a fast track” for immigrants who want to enter Portugal and can work. At the same time, he said the country would limit the “indiscriminate” entry of anyone seeking to come, arguing that “open doors” to immigration had “not produced a good result”.

Castro Almeida said Portugal has “practically no unemployment”, with unemployment at lows and employment at highs, and argued that this creates a need for more workers. “We are open to immigration that has conditions to work”, he said.

The minister also said higher fuel prices were complicating the inflation outlook, arguing that inflation would be lower without that pressure. He described Portugal’s broader economic indicators as “globally quite positive”, citing GDP growth, falling inflation over three consecutive months, balanced public finances, rising exports and tourism growth.

He added that public debt had risen only temporarily and said he expected it to resume falling by the end of 2026. Despite the positive trend, he said Portugal still has ground to make up, noting that the country remains at about 80% of European per capita GDP.

Originally published at Eco.pt