With no system in place to apply at the national counter, Brazilians are queuing overnight to find the password to obtain citizenship in Portugal.
- Looking back: Portugal approves tightening of citizenship rights that will hurt thousands of Brazilians
- bureaucracy: Analysis of Portuguese citizenship applications to be ‘frozen’ in May
In Lisbon, Brazilians are joining immigrants of various nationalities in a battle over the password of the Institute of Registered Notaries (IRN).
System administrator Celso Almeida said he spent the early hours of last Friday standing in line in Lisbon with about 80 migrants, including other Brazilians.
After staying in the country for five years, he said he applied for citizenship based on length of residence. He said he got in line at 11pm on Thursday and was served 18 hours later on Friday at 5pm.
— Only four of the 11 ticket offices were open. We arrived on a Thursday at 11pm and spent the night.
Celso, a qualified information technology specialist required by the most stringent government regulations, says of his move to France, where the company he works for is headquartered:
— I have no intention of updating my residence. I have a friend who has been waiting for his citizenship decision for three years. With so many orders in recent months, it will take longer.
The story of Celso and other Brazilians occurred on the same day (7/11) that Prime Minister Luiz Montenegro tried to reassure President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva about tightening immigration controls at a meeting in Brazil.
In light of changes to the Nationality Law that will make it difficult for Brazilians to obtain nationality, applications have flooded in.
The law remains subject to approval by the president, who may send a document to the Constitutional Court to test the legality of the new provisions.
Change of citizenship
- residence: Demands that the period of residence for Brazilians, immigrants from Portuguese-speaking African countries (CPLP) and the European Union be extended from five to seven years.
- semester: Avoid waiting periods due to immigration confusion and can only apply with an issued residence permit.
- 10 years: The period of residence for candidates of other nationalities will be extended from 5 years to 10 years.
- Sephardim: Termination of interests in descendants of Sfaradi Jews.
- loss: Revocation of citizenship in case of serious crime.
- great-grandchild: Provides for the granting of original nationality to great-grandchildren only if a valid connection with Portugal is proven.
- children: The period of regular residence of the parents in Portugal will be extended from one to five years in order for the children of immigrants to automatically acquire citizenship.
Although the law of five years of residence remains in effect as a basic requirement for obtaining citizenship, Brazilians have tried to anticipate the demands but have criticized the lack of dignity.
Sonia Gomez, a Brazilian and founder of the Association for the Assistance of Immigrants, Immigrants and Families (AAEIF), said she had already faced the same lines and was helping Brazilians through the early morning waits.
— Why isn’t there an online program to relieve this humiliation? Did he enjoy watching us suffer? – asked Sonia.
Contacted IRN, but there was no response.
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