Shocking Official Data: Over 1.5 Million Immigrants Now Reside in Portugal

Official Figures Confirm Immigrant Population Surge

Portugal is now home to 1,543,697 foreign citizens residing in the country, according to a report from the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) accessed by Observador. This official count, dated December 31, 2024, reveals that the immigrant population has nearly quadrupled in just seven years, skyrocketing from around 420,000 to over 1.5 million.

Political Controversy and Presidential Doubts

This report finally puts to rest the debate over immigration numbers in Portugal. Back in April, AIMA had released an interim report suggesting similar figures, but President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa publicly questioned these numbers, highlighting incongruities between AIMA's data and that of the National Statistics Institute. He famously stated, "Something doesn't add up," and privately suggested to political parties that immigration figures might have been inflated to justify government policies. This led the President to send the Foreigners Law to the Constitutional Court, which subsequently struck it down. Notably, AIMA's data emerged on the same day the head of state decided to promulgate the new version of the Foreigners Law.

Breakdown of the Numbers and Statistical Adjustments

When the interim report surfaced in April, estimates already pointed to over 1.5 million foreigners in Portugal, with expectations of upward revisions due to 50,000 pending applications under a transitional regime. However, a government source clarified that half of these applicants failed to attend scheduled appointments, and cross-referencing with other databases revealed some had obtained Portuguese nationality or passed away.

AIMA also admitted to a statistical error in previous years: in 2023, over 300,000 foreign citizens were not accounted for in official data, such as the Migration and Asylum Report. That year's actual immigrant count was over 1.3 million, not the reported one million.

Detailed Composition of Immigrant Residents

• 1,096,170 individuals hold residence permits valid beyond July 1, 2024, with rights maintained for renewal up to six months post-expiry.
• 61,242 are beneficiaries of Temporary Protection, not holding residence titles but considered residents.
• 286,302 represent processed cases from pending Expressions of Interest awaiting residence permits.
• 7,517 foreigners possess expired residence permits (valid before June 30, 2024) and have paid administrative fees for processing.
• 92,341 individuals had expired CPLP residence authorizations and have been assisted.
• 125 foreigners admitted under long-term visas had their stays extended beyond initial authorization.

AIMA's 2024 Activities and Impact

In 2024 alone, AIMA granted 218,332 residence permits, though the issuance date may not reflect entry timing. The agency conducted over 600,000 appointments with foreigners, analyzed more than 480,000 criminal records, and issued over 230,000 residence cards.