The Brazilian President, Lula da Silva, praised this Friday, April 17, the policy of regulating migrants by the Spanish Government, led by Pedro Sanchéz.
“The thousands of Brazilians who chose Spain as their home are contributing to the prosperity of this country”said the Brazilian head of state, alongside Pedro Sanchéz, in Barcelona, on his first day of a trip to Europe that will end in Lisbon on April 21.
“The Spanish migration regularization policy recognizes this contribution”highlighted Lula da Silva, recalling the consular cooperation agreement signed this Friday between the two countries.
This agreement, he stressed, will “strengthen assistance” to Brazilians.
According to 2025 data from the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, around 161,944 Brazilians reside in Spain.
The Spanish Government approved on Tuesday a decree that allows the process of extraordinary regularization of half a million immigrants, announced by the executive at the end of January, to begin immediately.
Lula da Silva’s praise for the Spanish government contrasts with the concerns that the Brazilian government has shown with the new Portuguese nationality law, which will be a topic treated as a “delicate subject” and of “interest” by the Brazilian president with his Portuguese counterpart, António José Seguro, and the prime minister, Luís Montenegro, during their visit to Portugal, on Tuesday.
The Portuguese Assembly of the Republic approved, on April 1st, a new decree revising the nationality law and a new diploma amending the Penal Code, which provide for the loss of nationality as an additional penalty, diplomas reviewed by parliament after the first versions had rules rejected by the Constitutional Court.
According to the secretary of Europe and North America of the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, ambassador Roberto Abdalla, the topic “is a delicate matter” and “there is indeed an interest on the Brazilian side to deal with this issue”.
“Obviously, it is a delicate subject, and there is, indeed, an interest on the Brazilian side to address this issue, because challenges persist arising from recent changes in immigration law by Portugal”he declared.
Lula da Silva is traveling to Europe this week, visiting Spain, Germany and then Portugal, on April 21, where he will meet Prime Minister Luís Montenegro, and the Portuguese head of state, António José Seguro.
On the agenda with Montenegro, explained Roberto Abdalla, cooperation issues will be discussed in the areas of science, technology and innovation, as well as aeronautics.
“Most likely [haverá] dialogues on discrimination, xenophobia and other forms of discrimination”he added.
In the first official meeting between Lula da Silva and Seguro, the ambassador explained that the two will be able to discuss matters “of interest to the Brazilian community” and international security.
It will be Lula da Silva’s fourth visit to Portugal this term, when he will be accompanied by the president of Petrobras, and a delegation of ministers from the areas of environment, economy, mines and energy, technology, industry and commerce.
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