The resident Chinese community in Portugal received the highest increase in fellow countrymen in 2013, according to data contained in the latest Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum report by the immigration and borders service (SEF.)
The Chinese community increased 6.8% compared to 2012, followed by immigrants from Guinea-Bissau up just 0.5%.
The Brazilians are the immigrants with the greater registered presence in Portugal with over 92,000, followed by Cape Verdeans at 42,000, Ukrainians at 41,000, Romanians at 34,000, Angolans at 20,000, Chinese at 18,600, Guineans at 18,000 and registered British at just 16,500.
The report also indicates that the resident foreign population in Portugal declined 3.8% in 2013 with expats returning home
Portugal did manage to grant 476 'golden visas' in 2013 representing an investment of €304.5 million last year.
According to the SEF there were 1,116 applications for golden visas that allow residence permits to be issued to for non-EU national.
Most applications have come from China, 80%, followed by Brazilians at 3%, Angolans at 2% and South Africans at 2%.
Of the 1116 candidates, "only nine applications were rejected."
The report said that 446 visas were granted due to the acquisition of property of €500,000 or more in Greater Lisbon, Oporto, the Algarve and Madeira. The spend was around €270.3 million although subsequent investigations show that many visas were granted in suspicious circumstances with various government employees and estate agents implicated in fraudulent activity (see link at and of article)
The special arrangements for residence permits for investment activity came into force on 8 October 2012 and aims to attract foreign investment, including that of Golden Wang who received his visa and subsequently was arrested by Portuguese police and an application made by the Chinese authorities to have him deported to face charges in China. The crimes of which he was accused are not crimes in Portugal, argued Wang’s lawyer, and he now is welcome to stay and enjoy Lisbon like anyone else.
also: http://www.algarvedailynews.com/news/1980-china-wants-golden-wang-to-serve-ten-years
