In 2022, Portugal witnessed a significant influx of immigrants, with approximately 121,000 newcomers, marking the highest figure in the last nine years. This surge represents a fourfold
increase compared to the number recorded in 2014, when only 30,800 immigrants arrived.
These statistics, pertaining to permanent migration, exclude humanitarian cases such as those involving individuals fleeing the conflict in Ukraine. This trend of increased immigration is not unique to Portugal; the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), which comprises 38 nations, reported that "the number of new Permanent immigrants in the OECD reached an all-time high of 6.1 million in 2022." This number represents a 26% rise compared to 2021 and is 14% higher than the figure for 2019, prior to the pandemic. Moreover, the four primary destination countries for immigrants within the OECD—namely, the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom, and Spain—witnessed substantial annual increases ranging from 21% to 35%. Notably, these countries all saw higher levels of permanent immigration in 2022 compared to 2019, which is pre-pandemic.
As for Portugal, the country experienced a 28.9% increase in permanent immigration between 2021 and 2022, and a 13.2% rise compared to 2019. To provide context, in 2019, 106,700 migrants arrived in Portugal, compared to just 30,800 in 2014, representing a nearly 300% increase.
The main drivers for permanent migration to Portugal in 2021 and 2022 were work and family-related reasons. The former accounted for 53,200 arrivals, while the latter brought in an additional 30,300 migrants. It's worth noting that Portugal stands out for its support programs aimed at migrant and refugee women, involving various stakeholders, including employers, public authorities, civil society, and employment centers.
In terms of sectors, a significant proportion (18.1%) of immigrants found employment in the services sector, followed by the extraction, manufacturing, and energy industries (14.9%), wholesale and retail trade (14%), and hotels and restaurants (12%). Data for agriculture and fisheries was not available.
Brazil, India, and Belgium were the top three nationalities among newcomers in 2021. Germany recorded the most substantial increase (+1,400), while Brazil saw the largest decrease (-2,800) in immigrant inflows to Portugal compared to the previous year.
In 2022, the number of first asylum seekers in Portugal surged by 47%, totaling around 2,000. The majority of applicants originated from Afghanistan (300), India (200), and Ukraine (200, excluding beneficiaries of temporary protection). The most significant increase since 2021 involved Ukrainian nationals (+200), while the most prominent decrease was observed among Afghan nationals (-300). Impressively, 78% of the 870 decisions made in 2022 were positive.
Additionally, the report highlights a 21% increase in Portuguese citizens' emigration to OECD countries in 2021, totaling 47,000 individuals. Approximately 16% of this group migrated to France, another 16% to Switzerland, and 14% to Spain.
The OECD report also discusses the establishment of the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA), which will succeed the High Commission for Migration (ACM) and oversee the implementation of public migration and asylum policies. Furthermore, the introduction of a digital visa for nomads is another noteworthy change, aimed at facilitating mobility for international students. Photo by Threeohsix, Wikimedia commons.