Portugal's far-right party to submit motion in parliament for referendum on migrants' quotas

By Senhan Bollelli

MADRID (AA) - Portugal's far-right Chega party has announced that it will submit a motion in parliament calling for a referendum on migration quotas.

"We must hold a referendum to see if the Portuguese want uncontrolled immigration, which has an effect all over the country," the party's leader Andre Ventura said, adding that they will submit a motion to parliament in the fall and request a referendum in which the Portuguese will be asked, "Do you want quotas for immigrants?"

Ventura also advocated for tighter border controls to prevent irregular migrants from entering the country, reduced support and aid, and the deportation of migrants involved in criminal activity.

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro, leader of the conservative right-wing Democratic Alliance, which formed a minority government following March's early general elections, will face his first major test at the end of the year.

The government, which passed a new law on migrants in July and ended the practice of requiring those arriving in the country with tourist visas to apply for a residence permit, is under pressure from the far-right on the issue of migrants, which polls show is ranked last among Portuguese problems.

However, for the government to pass the 2025 budget in parliament, it needs the support of Chega, the country's third largest political party, or the main opposition Socialist Party.

The number of immigrants in Portugal, which has doubled in the last 10 years, has approached 10 percent of the country's population. According to official data, Portugal has a population of 11 million people, nearly one million or 43% of whom are immigrants from Angola, Brazil, and France.