The Government met with employer confederations to discuss the operation of labour migration “within existing legal rules, with a view to meeting the needs of the national economy”, said António Leitão Amaro.

In this context, the government “proposed to the employer confederations, for discussion, a cooperation protocol that, without creating a new regime or modality of entry or stay, clarifies and implements the controlled and responsible recruitment procedure of foreign citizens, with an employment contract”, says the text.

Thus, and to “satisfy the needs of the national economy”, the Government proposed “an operationalisation channel that does not create new legal entry points, but simultaneously ensures greater speed of procedures and more responsibility and regulation of migratory flows”.

The objective is to “streamline the regular channels currently provided for in law”, ruling out a possible return to the expressions of interest regime, which was extinguished on June 3. “The entry visa requirements are not changed or reduced”, he assures.

On Saturday, Jornal de Notícias reported that the Government has already designed a first proposal to facilitate the entry of foreigners into the construction sector.

During a hearing in parliament, on November 7, the deputy minister of Territorial Cohesion had admitted that without an increase in the entry of immigrants “there will be no conditions” to carry out all the works financed with European funds on time, which is why the Government is “preparing facilitating measures”.