Portugal's general discussion (general events)

[Mike88]

People with 2 or more jobs reaches the highest rate of the last 12 years:

https://twitter.com/ECO_PT/status/1663079115539316736

There are 255,000 people with a second job in Portugal, the highest figure since 2011

In the first quarter of this year, 255 thousand people had at least two jobs, which represents an increase of 4.5% compared to the end of 2022, according to the most recent data from the employment survey of the National Institute of Statistics ( INE). It is the highest figure since 2011, writes Jornal de Negócios (paid access).

Of the 255,000 people who held at least two jobs in the first quarter, almost 230,000 were in the services sector, that is, 90% of the total. And, of these, 210,000 had this sector as their main activity, while 8,000 had the industry sector as their main activity and just over 7,000 had their first job in agriculture.

After all, these 255 thousand people, who in the INE survey responded to have more than one professional activity, represent 5.2% of the employed population in the country. It should be noted that the services sector, with a high weight in catering and accommodation, was one of the most penalized by the pandemic, following the lockdowns. In addition, they tend to be more precarious jobs and therefore more exposed to sudden changes in activity.

[Mike88]

GDP grows 2.5% in the first quarter of 2023 and Inflation drops to 4% during May:

https://twitter.com/RTPNoticias/status/1663900639116574720

The Portuguese economy grew by 2.5% in the first three months of the year. The National Institute of Statistics confirms the estimate.

The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.5% in the first quarter compared to the same period last year and by 1.6% compared to the previous quarter, confirmed today the National Institute of Statistics (INE).

In the "Quarterly National Accounts" released today, the statistical institute thus maintained the values advanced in the quick estimate of April 28th.

INE explains that "domestic demand made a null contribution" to the year-on-year change in GDP in the first quarter, after a contribution of 2.3 percentage points in the previous quarter.

"Private consumption decelerated and investment decreased, mainly reflecting the negative contribution of the variation in stocks, largely associated with the dynamics of international trade flows", it adds.

The National Statistics Institute (INE) estimates that the May inflation rate will have stood at 4%, which represents the seventh consecutive slowdown, according to data released this Wednesday.

In April, the consumer price index, an indicator that measures inflation, had registered a year-on-year change of 5.7%. That is, from April to May there was a slowdown of 1.7 percentage points.
(...)

[Mike88]

Flash floods hit  Northern Portugal, mainly the Trás-os-Montes area. Several agriculture plantations are destroyed and road and bridges were severely damaged:

https://twitter.com/MeteoTrasMontPT/status/1663657256716496902

https://twitter.com/MeteoTrasMontPT/status/1663606687297568768

The intense hailstorm caused, this Tuesday, "immense damage" in the vineyards in the Porrais area and the rising waters of a stream collapsed a road bridge in Ribeirinha, municipality of Murça, said the mayor.
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After the flood on Sunday afternoon, the river valley, between Valongo de Milhais and the Tinhela river, was once again flooded by yet another large waterspout. A small road bridge collapsed in Ribeirinha and the vineyards in the Sobreira, Candedo and Porrais areas were badly damaged due to hail.

Manuel Veloso, a farmer from Noura, told JN that "on Monday people went around composing the plants of agricultural crops one by one", but after Tuesday's flood "there are no longer any plants to save". "The water washed away as far as the Ribeirinha bridge. Everything broke!"

"It's a disgrace", lamented, for his part, Jorge Trigo, a farmer from Sobreira, also in Murça. "Where hail fell most heavily, the vines were almost without grapes. Many farmers are already applying calcium to at least try to save the plants".

This area was very affected by the great fire that affected the municipality of Murça in July 2022.
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[Mike88]

Huawei banned from 5G communications in Portugal. Operators now have up to 5 years to remove traces of the company in Portugal:

https://twitter.com/cnnportugal/status/1664216762991222784

Chinese and “high risk” technology must be expelled from the “core” of 5G in three years and from the periphery of networks in five. Sector surprised with a tougher position than the EU and questions: who will pay?

The recent decision that allows the Chinese technology company Huawei to be expelled from 5G in Portugal surprised those responsible for the telecommunications sector, who did not expect such comprehensive restrictions. Publicly, there are more doubts than certainties, but even for some of the players there are questions to clarify — for example, knowing who pays the bill. Operators will have up to five years to ban the "high risk" technology from their networks.

Four years ago, the Prime Minister, António Costa, rejected the introduction of “protectionism mechanisms” on the “pretext of security”. But it went further. Citing the example of “demanding countries” such as the United Kingdom and Germany, he declared that there is “no reason to exclude Huawei from access to the market” of fifth-generation mobile devices.

However, today, the position of these countries is different from what they had then. And that of the Portuguese Government has just turned 180 degrees, by now admitting the expulsion of equipment and services from brands such as Huawei and ZTE, not only from the most critical parts of 5G, the so-called core, but also from the peripheral part networks, including antennas.
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United States aplaudes the Portuguese decision, while China ponders "retaliation" against Portugal:

The US was satisfied with the decision of the Security Assessment Commission that prevents the use of equipment from Chinese manufacturers, such as Huawei, in 5G networks and requires the removal of existing equipment within a period of five years. The decision meets a long-standing claim by Washington.

The US position was shared by the ambassador to Portugal, Randi Charno Levine, in a speech given at a dinner by AmCham: American Chamber of Commerce in Portugal, which took place on Thursday last week, May 25th. The same day that the decision of the Security Assessment Commission was published on the website of the National Security Office. The document is dated May 23.
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The removal of the Chinese company Huawei from 5G could have political and economic consequences for Portugal, with the Beijing authorities admitting to retaliate if the removal of the technology company originating in that country is confirmed.

According to Jornal de Negócios (paid access), the Chinese authorities were perplexed and surprised by the decision adopted at the end of last week by the Superior Council for Cyberspace Security to remove companies from outside the EU, the USA and the OECD .

Considering that China has been, for several years, the fourth largest investor in the country, having invested close to 11.22 billion euros in Portugal in 2022, the newspaper maintains that it is admissible that Beijing will use some of its many investments in national territory to confront the Government with what they consider to be the injustice of this decision.

[Mike88]

Flash floods continue in rural Northern Portugal, with several parishes with a lot of damages:

https://twitter.com/MeteoTrasMontPT/status/1665063475914080256

Red alert also in Madeira islands as Storm "Oscar" is set to make downfall this Tuesday. A weather condition totally unusual for this time of the year:

https://twitter.com/meteo365_es/status/1665322722816040960

#BorrascaOscar #StormOscar will hit #Madeira with up to 200 l/m² of rain

[Mike88]

Dolphins return to Lisbon city:

https://twitter.com/SICNoticias/status/1668296619379372032

It is not the first time, nor will it be the last, that dozens of dolphins appear in the Tagus River, between the south bank and the city of Lisbon. Some say it's a good sign.

[Mike88]

Human traffic scandal hits the Portuguese Football League: Dozens of young foreign players were found withheld in an academy. The main suspected is the chairman of the Portuguese League assembly who also owns the academy in question:

https://twitter.com/RTPNoticias/status/1668603835873648640

Dozens of foreign minors who were allegedly held in a Football Academy, in Riba D'Ave, in the municipality of Famalicão, are now safe.

Dozens of foreign minors who were allegedly held in a Football Academy, in Riba D'Ave, in the municipality of Famalicão, are now safe.
They spent the night in reception centers in the north of the country and over the next few days they will be delivered to families in countries in Latin America, Africa and even Asia.

In total, 114 young people and minors were rescued from the Academy by SEF elements.

RTP knows that the President of the General Assembly of the Liga de Clubes is suspected of trafficking in minors and has been accused. Mário Costa is the president of BSports Portugal.

Liga de Clubes is already aware of the investigation by RTP and does not make any comment for the time being.

The head of the academy, Mário Costa, has announced his resignation from the leadership of the Portuguese Football League assembly.

Details of the case:

(...)
In total, 114 young people were rescued, who are now in reception centers to later be delivered to their families in Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Were young people arrested or prevented from leaving?

Literally no. However, it can be said that they were very limited.

These footballers from abroad would be paying 500 euros per month as a guarantee of permanence in Portugal. Some will have signed contracts with small clubs in the North region and ended up not receiving any money, being banned from leaving the country for not having a passport.

How is Liga Portugal involved in this case?

The most recent news reports the alleged involvement of the President of the Board of the General Assembly of the League in this case. This Monday, the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) carried out searches at Mário Costa's residence, in an investigation motivated by suspicions of human trafficking.

According to the investigation, the leader of Liga Portugal was trying to "sell" this "business model" to "investors".

Is the chairman of the Board of the General Meeting the only one involved in this case?

No. In addition to the home of the leader of the League, a football academy in Riba de Ave, in the municipality of Famalicão, district of Braga, was also searched.

In a first reaction, Mário Costa claimed to be innocent and says he will wait calmly for the investigation to unfold. The same reaction had the Bsports academy.
Is it unique in Portugal?

Will not be. Several organizations denounce illegal situations with young footballers from abroad.

Just last weekend, CNASTI (National Confederation of Action on Child Labor) told Renascença that illegality around young players is precisely one of the main problems in this field in Portugal.

[Mike88]

Portugal's population grows again at the end of 2022/beginning of 2023 to 10,467,366 inhabitants:

https://twitter.com/Publico/status/1669290199300423680

Portugal with the most population for the fourth consecutive year. Immigration justifies increase

On the last day of 2022, Portugal had a resident population of 10,467,366 people. Average number of children per woman of childbearing age increased to 1.43 children.

It is the fourth consecutive year that the resident population in Portugal has increased, says the National Institute of Statistics (INE) in the Bulletin Estimates of the Resident Population in Portugal 2022, released this Thursday. This result is due to immigration, which made it possible to offset the negative natural balance of the country. The aging index has also grown: for every 100 young people there are now 185.6 elderly people in the country.
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[Mike88]

Kangaroo seen lost on the streets of Vizela town, Braga district:

https://twitter.com/SICNoticias/status/1669701699089448962

This Friday morning was, to say the least, unusual for many residents of Vizela who, in the middle of their routine, ended up crossing paths with a kangaroo jumping in the center of the city.

A kangaroo on the street of a Portuguese town just 40 kms away from where I live? Well, I've seen everything.

[Mike88]

6 years after the tragic and deadly Pedrogão Grande wildfires, the memorial honoring the victims opens but no one shows up for the inauguration. People of the area affected feel abandoned:

https://twitter.com/dntwit/status/1669597939277389825

Pedrógão Grande. Memorial honoring fire victims opens without ceremony

At the end of the morning of this Thursday, the Association of Victims of the Fire of Pedrógão Grande (AVIPG) received a call from Infraestrutures of Portugal (IP) informing that from that moment on "the monument was open to the public". Dina Duarte, the president, confirmed this contact to DN, which after all denounced what she already suspected: this year there is no official ceremony marking the 17th of June.

"This is the respect that the dead of 2017 deserve from the authorities of this country. I think it is revealing", says the president. For the first time in these six years, AVIPG has not sent invitations to anyone. The headquarters will be open, for the families of the victims and for the associates. In addition, the association will participate in a mass, scheduled for the Church of Vila Facaia, in the early afternoon. The day will also be marked by the (already usual) memory ride, an initiative that brings together cyclists from the region and travels 66 kilometres, one for each person who died in the fire.
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When the current direction of the Association took office, it developed contacts with IP to request a meeting. "We made a series of requests, but none of them were considered: the plane tree that had resisted the fire and we considered that it could stay there as an example of resilience, was one of the first things to be cut. We also asked the fountain to stay, because it was it was also a landmark, it didn't stay. The only thing they agreed to was the placement, in the place, of a time capsule", she underlines.

When the fire claimed lives and decimated the entire region of Pinhal Interior, those in charge of power came out to the public to guarantee that, more than making it rise from the ashes, the interior of the country would never be forgotten. In the first years the visit of the President of the Republic (mainly) and of some members of the Government was repeated. But six years seems like a long time. It is the first time that the day will not be remembered with any official visit.

"This is a way for those who are entitled not to be confronted with promises that were not kept", considers Dina Duarte. "We even came to the conclusion that Portugal is just Lisbon and we are landscape. Portugal is TAP and it's a whole set of circumstances that the rest of the country is not. It's not just here. We also question what is being done in Serra da Estrela, for example, and in other places. It's interesting to see if something is being done. Because here, six years later, very little has been done". "Those who feel like friends of the territory and who don't want it to be forgotten will come to us", says Dina Duarte, when asked about Saturday.

[Mike88]

Prosecutor investigating "wave" of racist comments against a Police tweet of a black police officer:

https://twitter.com/SICNoticias/status/1670829847415857152

Racist comments to PSP tweet are on their way to the Public Ministry

The announcement of the 40th Training Course for Police Officers, made by the Public Security Police (PSP) on the social network Twitter is causing a stir, but for the worst reasons: “It seems to me that someone changed the photo of the policeman and of the thief” or “What is a black man doing in the Portuguese police?” were some of the comments made to the post.

In the publication, which dates back to June 16, the PSP announced the opening of applications for training Police Officers, held at the Higher Institute of Police Sciences and Internal Security, and illustrated with a photograph of an officer. It turns out that in this post “several racist comments” were published.
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“As soon as the PSP became aware of the aforementioned comments, it immediately took steps to assess the existence of illegality and the identification of its authors” and this Monday it prepared “a news report, already sent to the Public Ministry, with reference to the facts investigated so far and the information that is considered to be of criminal relevance”.
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[gerritcole]

what do u mike think are the biggest issues that portugal faces currently

[Mike88]

what do u mike think are the biggest issues that portugal faces currently

Like every country around the world, the issues facing Portugal are very similar: The economy, the environment, social services, and so on. But, there are a few issues that are worse in Portugal, in my view, than in other countries, and I would point the economy and the demographic winter, which is then like a domino effect that leads to complicated issues on the environment, the NHS, education, housing, transport, etc.

Portugal is very low wage economy, more than 50% of workers earn less that 1,000 euros per month and the economy is currently being support by just tourism, which is about 20% of GDP. Although tourism creats a lot of jobs, it pays badly and it's basically a low value added product. This is a major issue for Portugal as it needs a more diverse and stronger economy capable of paying better salaries. And, of course, when you add high taxation over already low wages, this creates a big burden over families who are finding hard to make ends meet at the end of the day and the government's supports are normally very bureaucratic and slow.

And then you have the demographic winter. Although immigration is booming in Portugal, which is making the population grow, Portugal is still one of the fastest aging countries in the world, side by side with Japan and Italy, and this puts a lot of preassure on Social Security. Pensions in Portugal are also quite low, 67% earn pensions bellow 443 euros per month, and when you add a low wage and low productive economy, the pressure increases over Social Security and pensioners, more than 2 million, are faced with big problems in managing their pensions, especially in a time of rising cost of living.

[Red Velvet]

From an outsider perspective, I would say:

- Portugal getting older faster, like European countries are
- Young Portuguese migrating to Northern European countries for increased opportunities
- Creation of an even bigger need to attract new people in order to make the economy function, so immigration is stimulated to higher levels
- An increasing share of population being hostile to immigrants with the perception the “culture” is changing too fast, with the rise of racist/xenophobic attacks and immigration driving them to more populist right-wing options (slow rise of Chega mirrors the one from Spanish Vox).

Other problems seem in line with other Euro countries imo, but this one specifically seems much harsher to Portugal because it’s already a smaller population and the residing youth seems to leave the country in a much more intensive way. I hear that Cost of Leaving - more specifically increased Housing Prices - in the bigger cities is a main issue.

That small population + bigger influxes with young people leaving leads to immigration “changes” be perceived much more intensely by the population. But a huge share of people that have moved to Portugal are Brazilians with Portuguese ancestry to generalize so they’re also somewhat lucky that the culture doesn’t change thaaaaat much. But even then, it’s common to hear reports of xenophobic attacks against Brazilians.

[Mike88]

From an outsider perspective, I would say:

- Portugal getting older faster, like European countries are
- Young Portuguese migrating to Northern European countries for increased opportunities
- Creation of an even bigger need to attract new people in order to make the economy function, so immigration is stimulated to higher levels
- An increasing share of population being hostile to immigrants with the perception the “culture” is changing too fast, with the rise of racist/xenophobic attacks and immigration driving them to more populist right-wing options (slow rise of Chega mirrors the one from Spanish Vox).

Pretty much, although on the last point, the reasons for the far-right rise are also related with corruption scandals, a sense of "abandonment" by several parts of the population and that "nothing works" in the country. The immigration issue has an impact, of course, but it still has a lower impact than one may expect from the outside.

[Mike88]

Informal economy may have reached 35% of GDP in 2022, a new record:

https://twitter.com/Renascenca/status/1671495861770092544

Informal economy reaches maximum value of 35% of Portuguese GDP

The informal economy reached a maximum value of 34.6% of Portuguese GDP in 2022, according to the conclusions of a study by the Faculty of Economics of the University of Porto (FEP).

According to the research, which covers the period from 1996 to 2022, the unregistered economy (UNR) corresponds to more than 82 billion euros.

Speaking to Renascença, Óscar Afonso, director of FEP and one of the authors of the study, points out that the weight of the informal economy has increased, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.

"The value corresponds to six times what is budgeted for Health and eight times what is budgeted for Education. It is about 30% of the Portuguese public debt", he reinforces.
For the professor, the research findings reveal that the official economy "is not competitive compared to the unregistered economy", mainly due to the "high tax burden, which is crushing all economic agents" - and has pushed them into the informal economy.

In 2022, Portugal reached a historical maximum of tax burden, set at 36.4%. Value that, according to the statement from the FEP, translates into the 5th largest fiscal effort in the European Union, 17% above average, according to updated data.
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On the other hand, the investigation also points to the reduction of taxation on income entering the official economy, strengthening the supervision of financial support, conditioning access to training of beneficiaries - "avoiding 'subsidy dependence' and accommodation - and also the implementation of the crime of illicit enrichment, both in the public and private sectors.

After all, betting on a reduction of the tax burden, "the unregistered economy would also decrease, being able to reap the same taxes, because it would have more official economy".

"With that, support could even increase, and this support would be felt, above all, in the most vulnerable classes and in agents operating in the parallel economy. It would be a way for them to enter the official economy."

[Mike88]

243 illegal immigrants rescued by the Police in a raid into a shellfish warehouse in the suburbs of Lisbon. Four people also arrested:

https://twitter.com/RTPNoticias/status/1671493720049426433

The Central Criminal Investigation Unit of the Maritime Police led this Wednesday an operation to combat the "illegal capture" of shellfish and "human labor exploitation" in Montijo and Alcochete

The Central Criminal Investigation Unit of the Maritime Police led this Wednesday an operation to combat the "illegal capture" of shellfish and "human labor exploitation" in Montijo and Alcochete. Four suspects were arrested and more than 240 immigrants were identified. The Foreigners and Borders Service, the PSP and the Tax Authority were part of this nationwide investigation.
The operation "at the national level", confirmed in a statement by the National Maritime Authority, is aimed at presumed "criminal networks associated with the illicit capture, trade and international trafficking of shellfish".

Four people were arrested and 243 immigrants were identified. "Nine foreign citizens" were notified "to appear at the SEF, in order to clarify their situation in the national territory".
(...)
Everything indicates that these are people from Southeast Asia who were victims of the alleged network of exploitation.

The migrants already identified were meanwhile withdrawn by the authorities.

According to a lawyer for the owner of the warehouses in question, the immigrants lived there and had lease agreements.

Illegal clam picking has grown in recent years, capitalizing on the proximity to the Tagus River. It is not the first time that operations have been carried out in this area of the Setúbal district.

[gerritcole]

what do u mike think are the biggest issues that portugal faces currently

And then you have the demographic winter. Although immigration is booming in Portugal, which is making the population grow, Portugal is still one of the fastest aging countries in the world, side by side with Japan and Italy, and this puts a lot of preassure on Social Security. Pensions in Portugal are also quite low, 67% earn pension bellow 443 euros per month, and when you add a low wage and low productive economy, the pressure increases over Social Security and pensioners, more than 2 million, are faced with big problems in managing their pensions, especially in a time of rising cost of living.

is most of the immigration from within the eu or rather brazil or from elsewhere? are Brazilian immigrants more easily accepted due to the language and cultural links or is their mixed heritage obvious and an issue

[Red Velvet]

what do u mike think are the biggest issues that portugal faces currently

And then you have the demographic winter. Although immigration is booming in Portugal, which is making the population grow, Portugal is still one of the fastest aging countries in the world, side by side with Japan and Italy, and this puts a lot of preassure on Social Security. Pensions in Portugal are also quite low, 67% earn pension bellow 443 euros per month, and when you add a low wage and low productive economy, the pressure increases over Social Security and pensioners, more than 2 million, are faced with big problems in managing their pensions, especially in a time of rising cost of living.

is most of the immigration from within the eu or rather brazil or from elsewhere? are Brazilian immigrants more easily accepted due to the language and cultural links or is their mixed heritage obvious and an issue

Depends on what you’re comparing with tbh.

Brazilians in general are mostly welcomed in Portugal and I would say are better received in comparison with other non-European migrants.

That’s true for all of Europe in some degree, where I feel the stronger xenophobia is mostly concentrated towards Muslim immigrants. Cultural similarities makes adaptation in Europe be one of the easiest if you compare with what people in Middle East; Africa and to lesser degree Asia can go through.

And for Brazilians specifically, it’s even easier because of the language + a lot of Brazilian culture already being part somewhat of Portugal. A good number of the Brazilians who go live there also already have prior Double Citizenship because of their ancestry for example.

Like, I never lived in Portugal but I’m technically (in terms of paper stuff, not at heart) Portuguese as well because I have a Portugal ID and passport. Both of my grandmother parents were Portuguese immigrants who came to Brazil during WWI looking for better opportunities while Europe was under war.

I only visited Portugal briefly while I was living in Spain because I was homesick and in some ways it helped me feel like I was back at home somewhat. I remember feeling similarities were much stronger than differences. It felt to me like I was in a poshy European version of Brazil, with people speaking in a funny old-style formal way that kinda turned me on - whenever they were speaking Portuguese instead of English (the excess of the latter being honestly my single and main bad impression from there).

But in general the Portuguese I met in there were all sweethearts, necessarily nicer to me because I was Brazilian. That’s my personal experience though, as a Luso-Brazilian. Can’t necessarily say if it’s the sane for every Brazilian - and living there is something very different from visiting. Can’t say if people more dark skinned have this same impression or not.

That all being said, discrimination naturally exists because of what you said and since there are many many Brazilians living in there and shaping the culture in their own way, you usually hear news from a xenophobic or racist attack happening against a Brazilian there. Especially in universities tbh, where in some situations Brazilians start to become a majority over Portuguese because many in the Portuguese Youth go study abroad elsewhere in Europe.

Even from people who don’t have direct prejudice at all, you can sometimes feel some level of resentment regarding Brazilians being literally everywhere there. Jokes about changing the way they speak for us (as if Brazilian Portuguese was a “cheaper” version of the language); notions of Portuguese culture being mixed or confused with Brazilian; more negative stereotypes; etc. That’s sillier stuff you can find everywhere though, with Brazilians also having their own negative stereotypes of the Portuguese.

Still, Brazilian is probably the best non-European immigrant group to be while in Portugal (in the sense of how easier things are) and not just because of language at all, neither the large number of people. Portugal naturally consumes a level of Brazilian culture in a higher level in comparison with other countries, which makes Brazilians feel like they’re just in an “European version” of their own home.

So like, it’s not exactly as “close” as the American-British relationship when visiting the other country but at same time there’s also more cultural direct proximity than say, Spain and all multiple others Hispanic countries in America that are each different in their own individual way.

And is miles easier than being a non-western immigrant in Portugal or Europe as well. It generally is for Latin Americans in Western Europe in some level, but especially Spain and Portugal I’d say.

If I had to move and pick a new place to live it would necessarily be either some other place in South America or the Iberian Peninsula. Every other place feels kinda alien and too different for me tbh.

[Mike88]

what do u mike think are the biggest issues that portugal faces currently

And then you have the demographic winter. Although immigration is booming in Portugal, which is making the population grow, Portugal is still one of the fastest aging countries in the world, side by side with Japan and Italy, and this puts a lot of preassure on Social Security. Pensions in Portugal are also quite low, 67% earn pension bellow 443 euros per month, and when you add a low wage and low productive economy, the pressure increases over Social Security and pensioners, more than 2 million, are faced with big problems in managing their pensions, especially in a time of rising cost of living.

is most of the immigration from within the eu or rather brazil or from elsewhere? are Brazilian immigrants more easily accepted due to the language and cultural links or is their mixed heritage obvious and an issue

It's mostly from Brazil, somewhere between 200,000-400,000 immigrants live in Portugal (2-4% of the population). Of course, the language and the similar heritage helps with the integration in society. Portugal also has a strong community of Ukranians, that during the early 2000's came in big numbers to Portugal. There are other big immigration communities from former colonies like Cape Verde and/or Angola. There is also big British and French communities, mainly pensioners who live in Portugal due to the tax benefits for foreign retirees.

On the negative side, Portugal has a growing illegal immigration population, mainly from Nepal, India and Bangladesh, victims of human traffic mafias, with the more critical situations in the Alentejo region and Lisbon city. Several police raids and media investigations have uncovered several cases of almost slavery, and today was one of those days, unfortunately. This documentary explains it well:

[Red Velvet]

Immigrants in Portugal:

This video still underestimates the number of Brazilians a lot though, since many are not counted as immigrants because of the dual citizenship, but counted as regular Portuguese.

Total Brazilians living in Portugal are accounted at 309k (March 2023 data), way more than what the video shows because of this factor.

I remember only learning that Portugal historically has a significant Venezuelan community (and like, way before the crisis) when noticing that my hotel allowed calls only to Brazil and Venezuela from the Latin American region. It’s the largest Latin American group there, not counting Brazil.

[Mike88]

Meanwhile in rural Portugal...

Ponte da Barca, Viana do Castelo district, City Hall "under fire" for mistakenly buying public lamps with the royal coat of arms of Spanish King Ferdinand VII:

https://twitter.com/dntwit/status/1672207388462698496

Mistake places lamps with the crown of the Spanish monarchy in Ponte da Barca

The mayor of Ponte da Barca admitted this Friday that there had been a "mistake" of city services in the purchase of three lamps with symbols of the Spanish monarchy that, recently, began to illuminate the Garden of Poets.

Contacted by the Lusa agency, regarding a press realease from the Ponte da Barca PS branch about an "inadmissible Castilian invasion" of that space in the town, Augusto Marinho regretted the incident, but has not yet decided what he will do with the Castilian 'farolas'.

"I certainly regret the situation. There has never been, nor will there be, any attempt to pay homage to the Spanish crown", stressed the social-democratic mayor, who classified as "deeply ridiculous" the controversy generated around that urban furniture used in some cities from Spain.

At stake are three lamps whose base is inscribed with the coat of arms of King Fernando VII of Spain.

In the inscription you can see two "F", the indication VII, which is joined by the Spanish crown shield.

Underneath the coat of arms is the date 1832, in honor of the year of birth of Infanta Luísa Fernanda, daughter of the Spanish monarch.
(...)

The "inadmissible Castilian invasion" with lamps made my day.

[Mike88]

Violent collections spread in social neighborhoods around Lisbon:

https://twitter.com/expresso/status/1672730357320372227

Crisis leads the poorest to turn to moneylenders. When they don't pay, they are thrown out of their houses or see their children kidnapped.

In social housing neighborhoods spread across Greater Lisbon there are small mafias of moneylenders who, riding on the back of the economic crisis, are profiting more and more from the business of illegal loans, with interest rates that sometimes rise to 50% per month. The victims are usually families with economic problems, who survive on the Social Insertion Income (RSI), or with precarious jobs, especially in the so-called informal economy. The phenomenon is far from being recent; what is new is the degree of physical and psychological violence used by debt collectors when someone fails to pay their installments. “After the pandemic and with this rise in the standard of living, people who in desperation resort to these organized groups that dominate the neighborhoods have increased. They do it even knowing that they run the risk of having to pay a bill that is too high later on”, says a source with knowledge of the process.
(...)

[Mike88]

Smoke clouds from Canadian wildfires reaches Portugal.

In Lisbon city:
https://twitter.com/MeteoTrasMontPT/status/1673399349852643346
In Porto city:
https://twitter.com/MeteoTrasMontPT/status/1673398975624355840

The cloud of smoke particles from the fires in Canada arrived this Monday afternoon in mainland Portugal. According to the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and the Atmosphere (IPMA), this cloud consists of very small particles and gases from the fires that have affected Canada.

"This cloud should not affect populations below 1,100 m altitude. However, it should cause a reduction in visibility and a reduction in the brightness of the sun, as well as the blue tone of the sky", says the IPMA.

The particles arrived in the Azores this Sunday and today reached the continent in the North and Center regions.

[Red Velvet]

President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa defended the signaling of the EU-Mercosur deal still in this year, referencing it as something strategic for beyond economic reasons:

“It is essential that an agreement is concluded between the European Union and Mercosur, and that it is concluded as soon as possible. If feasible, during the Spanish presidency of the European Union until the end of the year.”

The statement was made during the closing ceremony of the 11th Lisbon Legal Forum, in the Portuguese capital. The ceremony was attended by the Vice President of Brazil and Minister of Development, Industry, Commerce and Services, Geraldo Alckmin.

According to the Portuguese president, the European Union will lose the opportunity to play a “global role in the dialogue between the great powers of the world”, if it maintains the tendency to restrict its partnerships.

“If the European Union loses the opportunity, due to the blindness of a country or for reasons of conjuncture, it will lose the opportunity to have a global role in the dialogue between the great powers of the world”, said Marcelo Rebelo.

According to him, this loss of political space by the European bloc will become even more evident if it does not also establish a partnership with the African continent. If so, he added, “only the United States of America and China will remain. This is bad for us: for Brazil, for Portugal, for the world that Brazil leads and for the European Union that Portugal is part of”.

https://noticias.uol.com.br/ultimas-noticias/agencia-brasil/2023/06/28/presidente-de-portugal-quer-acordo-entre-ue-e-mercosul-ainda-neste-ano.htm