- President Seguro called for fiercely combating illegal immigration while maintaining human dignity during a speech in Campo Maior.
- Portugal has doubled citizenship waiting periods from five to ten years for most foreign nationals under recent reforms.
- A controversial return decree remains under review by the Constitutional Court to determine its legal validity.
António José Seguro called for illegal immigration to be “Fiercely combated” during a visit to Campo Maior on August 8, 2026, while arguing that enforcement must not strip people of their dignity.
The President of the Portuguese Republic said he was “against illegal immigration,” but insisted that this position was not “incompatible” with treating people “with dignity.” His remarks set a tougher enforcement message alongside a warning against inhumane treatment.
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Seguro made the comments during a speech in Campo Maior, Portugal. He defended strict border controls but declined to comment on a decree concerning the return of foreign nationals that is currently before the Constitutional Court.
The speech came as Portugal applied tighter nationality rules. The changes lengthen the wait for citizenship and add new requirements for some applicants.
Portugal has doubled the standard citizenship wait
Portugal implemented Decree No. 48/XVII in May 2026, changing the standard citizenship waiting period for most foreign nationals from 5 years to 10 years. The period is 7 years for nationals from CPLP and European Union countries.
Mid-2026 reforms also introduced stricter civic knowledge tests for immigrants seeking citizenship. The measures give practical force to the government’s emphasis on controlled migration and integration requirements.
The nationality changes affect people who may already have spent years living and working in Portugal. Citizenship remains a separate question from lawful residence, but the longer timetable delays access to nationality for most foreign nationals.
Seguro’s comments did not set out a new enforcement measure or announce a change to the nationality rules. Instead, he described the principles he said should guide policy: firm action against unauthorized entry and treatment that maintains human dignity.
The president’s refusal to address the return decree leaves one major part of the debate with the court. The Constitutional Court is reviewing the measure while political attention remains focused on how Portugal returns foreign nationals who do not have permission to stay.
The president is positioning enforcement against harsher political demands
The speech also placed Seguro between stricter border policies and the more restrictive platform associated with the far-right Chega party. Chega has campaigned for tougher migration measures, including billboards carrying the message, “This isn’t Bangladesh.”
Seguro’s formulation rejects the idea that enforcement and humane treatment must be opposing goals. He argued instead that the state can act forcefully while retaining obligations toward the people affected by its decisions.
That distinction is especially relevant when enforcement involves detention, removal or the denial of a longer-term legal pathway. Each policy can affect a person’s ability to remain, work, reunite with family or qualify for nationality, although the speech did not detail individual cases.
The government’s nationality reforms already show how the policy balance operates in practice. Most foreign nationals now face a 10-year wait, while CPLP and European Union nationals face a 7-year period and applicants must meet stricter civic knowledge expectations.
The return decree remains before the Constitutional Court
The unresolved decree adds a legal dimension to the president’s remarks. Seguro supported combating unauthorized migration but did not comment on the return measure while the court considers it.
That restraint keeps the speech separate from the court’s decision. The president’s words establish a political position, not a ruling on whether the decree complies with Portugal’s constitutional requirements.
The government must now pursue enforcement alongside the standards Seguro described. That includes the operation of return procedures, the treatment of people during those procedures and the longer citizenship route created by Decree No. 48/XVII.
The citizenship waiting periods introduced in May 2026 provide the clearest date in the policy shift. The return decree’s next stage depends on the Constitutional Court, while the president’s call for forceful enforcement has already entered Portugal’s national migration debate.
