With locals leaving the country to find work in more developed economies, the number of foreigners choosing to live in Portugal jumped to nearly 400,000 by the end of 2016, with 83% working and much of the remainer, retired.
The number of non-Portuguese living in the country increased by 2.3% in 2016, reversing a downward trend that had been worrying government since 2010.
"In 2016 there were a total of 397,731 foreign citizens with residence permits, according to the latest immigration report.
Asylum applications to Portugal have rocketed - up 64% in a year - the highest number of requests in the last 15 years with 1,469 people 'seeking shelter from oppression.'
According to the 2016 report, most of the asylum applications were submitted by Asian citizens (642), followed by Africans (611) and Europeans (169).
The report records an increase in the granting of new residence permits, which indicates "a return to the attractiveness of Portugal as an immigration destination" as 46,921 permits were issued, up 24% in a year.
The Foreign and Borders Service explained the reason for this increase was two-fold, "the perception of Portugal as a safe country" and "the tax advantages deriving from the non-habitual resident regime."
The top 10 foreign nationalities list has changed in a year with France, up 33%, kicking São Tomé and Principe off the list.
The top 10 countries whose citizens reside in Portugal are, Brazil (81,251), Cape Verde (36,578), Ukraine (34,490), Romania (30,429), China (22,503), United Kingdom (19,384), Angola (16,994), Guinea- Bissau (15,653), France (11,293) and Spain (11,133).
The report noted that 83% of foreign citizens living in Portugal are working with 69% of the foreign population residing in the urban areas of Lisbon (173,118), Faro (63,481) and Setúbal (36,175).
As for Golden Visa incomers, the report states that “at the end of 2016, 1,172 first residence permits were issued to investors and 1,836 to family members under the special residence permit regime for investment activity.”
After presenting the report, the national director of the SEF, Luísa Maia Gonçalves, said that 45 new recruits will soon be taken on as an “essential reinforcement" for the security service as it faces an increasingly complex workload, especially in investigations, inspection, information technology and documentation.
The use of new technology is helping, for example, in the online renewal of residence permits which frees up staff time.
About the queues at Lisbon airport's passport control for non-Shengen passengers, Gonçalves said that there is a very significant number of personnel at the airport and the service is working with ANA to "better management the flow so that people do not land together in a very short space of time."
Comments
My eyes are fully opened to all around me.
Portugal is not an industrial country and therefore would not require the development to go with that.
It is however, a country that people from Northern Europe and further a field come here to relax and enjoy the easy lifestyle and unspoilt environment .
It is nice to get away from a busy and often the drudgery of working life in the colder parts of Europe and unwind in the sun and enjoy the simple pleasures of life, I know because I am one of those people.
Now, what was that about a rock...
* the 3200 sunny hours per annum
* no freezing, only a few rainy days, no cold periods
* and as a consequence the reduced vestimentary budhet
* the good and fresh fish
* the very good and affordable wines (less than 5€ !)
* the favorable fiscal regime
* and last but not least the gentle and symphatic Portugese people.
Aren't that enough good reasons to come here ?
Are you living under a rock, with your eyes shut ?
Wake up.
Can you please explain why you prefer to live here, is it for the cheap economy, just like myself and a lot of others.
I know that my sense of wellbeing is enhanced by living here, but as I have explained before, if the cost of living here was anything other than it is, then I would have to live and work in the UK where it is expensive and cold in the winter.
The Troika found out 5 years ago- all Portugal's numbers need rechecking. Repeatedly. Then - if checked internally - rechecked externally. No Portuguese Ministry officially keeps country of origin details, it is against regulations as the Portuguese weirdly claim (tell that to a Cabo Verdian!) to be race blind; so have these percentages been checked by an impartial 3rd party?
Which comment? Email me on ed