Resettlement to Portugal

Resettlement to Portugal

For more detailed information on resettlement to Portugal, a full country profile can be viewed here at Know Reset.

Portugal began the implementation of its resettlement programme in 2007. Portugal has an annual quota of 30 refugees each year. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) submits cases to Portugal for a dossier selection. Portugal does not conduct in-country selection missions at present. 

UNHCR forwards the resettlement submission to the Permanent Representation of Portugal in Geneva. The Permanent Representation then forwards the relevant documentation to the Immigration and Border Service within the Ministry of Interior, which, in accordance with the provisions of Law No. 27/2008 of 30 June, is the competent body to examine and review the resettlement submission.

The final decision is made by the Ministry of Interior, and is communicated to UNHCR via Portugal’s Permanent Representation in Geneva.

Resettled refugees in Portugal are granted either refugee status or subsidiary protection.

Eligibility Criteria

Under the Portuguese refugee resettlement eligibility criteria, voluntary repatriation and local integration should be explored prior to the submission of the resettlement case to the Immigration and Border Service within the Ministry of Interior to be considered for resettlement. 

Priority is given to refugees in need of serious legal and physical protection, women at risk (with or without dependants under their care), survivors of violence and/or torture and unaccompanied minors.

Admissibility for Resettlement

A refugee maybe denied resettlement to Portugal if he meet the exclusion criteria as per Article 1F of the 1951 Geneva Convention; found to have a criminal background, or found to pose a threat to Portugal’s public order or international relations. Portugal does not require medical screening for refugees prior to their entry to the country.

Family Reunification for Resettled Refugees

In accordance with the provisions of Law no. 23/2007 of 04 July and Law No.27/2008 of 30 June, a refugee may apply upon arrival for the admission of a member of his/her family into Portugal. 

A family member for the purposes of family reunification is:

 

  1. A spouse, in circumstances where the person is married and the marriage is subsisting on the date of the application. 
  2. Children under the age of 18 years who remain single and 
  3. Refugees under 18 years of age may apply for the admission of his or her parents.

 

Other dependent members of the family may be granted permission to enter Portugal, for instance, unmarried or incapacitated adult children, or parents in cases where the applying refugee is over 18 years old. For these cases the dependency link must be demonstrated and the family members must have been listed in the original documentation submitted by UNHCR.

 

Sources: this information has been taken from the Portugal country chapter in the UNHCR Resettlement Handbook.

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