Eight months after the signing of the Morocco-Portuguese agreement on immigration, Portogues President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa has approved changes to his country’s immigration laws.
The aim is to make the recruitment process easy to deal with the labor shortage in the country, especially in the fields of construction and tourism.
The Portuguese Parliament approved the reform proposal on July 21 and came into force a few days later.
The applicants wishing to work in Portugal will receive a temporary visa valid for 120 days. The visa is subject to a 60-day extension. The new law will also provide the installation of digital nomads and facilities for off-site workers, according to the reform.
The Portuguese Minister of State for Tourism, Rita Marx, said on Friday that her country will need about 50,000 additional employees to achieve a better economic recovery after the “Covid-19” pandemic, according to Portuguese media.
“Portugal needs immigrants because of its demography, economy, and culture,” said Ana Catarina Mendes, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs.
The Moroccan community in Portugal was around 4,000 in 2012, a decade later, its number may range between 8,000 and 10,000.
Portugal was not an appealing destination for Moroccan workers, as its minimum wage is still among the lowest in Europe. It is around 822 euros for 40 hours of work per week.
To remedy the situation, Morocco and Portugal agreed in May to create a working group to facilitate legal employment and secure migration flows between the two countries.
The agreement signed by the Minister of Employment and Skills, Younes Skouri, and the Portuguese Minister of State for Labor, Miguel Fontes, provides for the mobility of youth, students, and workers.
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