“It is also important, as in other countries, to try to attract more immigrants with bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees”said the governor of the Bank of Portugal (BdP), Álvaro Santos Pereira. He was speaking during the presentation of Portugal’s economic bulletin for the year 2025.
The answer on the topic was given when he was asked if he agreed with the adoption of more migration policies. Furthermore, he highlighted that “perhaps it is worth having an active immigration policy, trying to identify the sectors in advance” where there are most needs and attract people to these areas.
In the case of the Brazilian community, It is not uncommon for people to have a master’s degree, doctorate, or other certified qualifications. However, the bureaucracy involved in revalidating diplomas excludes these professionals from the job market, as several studies have already pointed out.
According to a report presented in 2025, 42% of these professionals with “advanced higher education”, that is, above specialization, are working outside their training area in Portugal. Furthermore, more than 56% of people interviewed were unable to revalidate their diploma in the country.
The data presented on the immigrant workforce are already known: in 2025, around 1.13 million foreigners were registered with Social Securitythe majority of whom are contract workers or independent workers (green receipts).
Brazilian men and women continue to be the majority of the foreign working community in the country, with 38%. The other nationalities in the ranking are those from South Asia — India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan —, with around 19%, and those from Portuguese-speaking African countries (PALOP), with 14%.
The bank governor highlighted that the conclusion of the study is that “foreign workers are in Portugal to work, carrying out various activities”regardless of nationality. Finally, he highlighted that, among immigrants, there are fewer social benefits and pensions than among nationals; They are individuals with an average age of 33 years and are involved in various professional activities.
*With information from Lusa
amanda.lima@dn.pt
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