Portugal: Migrants Granted Residency Rights Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

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Undocumented immigrants and asylum seekers in Portugal have been granted the same rights as residents, including access to medical care, during a state of emergency to curb the spread of coronavirus.

 “This is not an automatic regularization,” the border control agency SEF told AFP on Monday, indicating that immigration processing should resume at the beginning of July.

The border police did not say how many people were affected by the measure, which came into force on Friday to allow migrants to access public services and social aid provided by the state.

Portugal’s decision was welcomed on Monday by the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. {snip}

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