The Apostolic Nuncio in Lisbon has accused extremist political parties of attempting to associate themselves with the Catholic faith, arguing that the Church must distance itself, particularly on social issues such as immigration. In an interview with the Lusa agency, Andrés Carrascosa Coso stated that Gospel values must be applied to daily life and that one cannot simply choose the parts of doctrine that suit specific agendas. He emphasized that while immigration policy must consider a country's capacity to host, the issue must also be viewed through the lens of the Gospel, which demands care for every person in inhumane situations. Furthermore, he warned against the dangers of algorithms and populism, which limit exposure to differing viewpoints and hinder the dialogue necessary to build society.
Apostolic Nuncio on immigration: “Wanting to cut parts of the Gospel when it doesn't suit us is not Christian”
Context & Explainers
The Immigration Law is Portugal’s legal framework that governs entry, residency, asylum and deportation of non-nationals. It was amended by Law No. 61/2025 on October 22, 2025, after parts of an earlier draft were rejected by the Constitutional Court; the changes reorganise administrative responsibilities and introduce stricter control measures that affect visas, residency and family reunification processes.
Chega ("Enough") is a Portuguese far-right populist party founded in 2019 by André Ventura. It positions itself as an anti-establishment movement against what it calls a "rotten and corrupt system" of PS-PSD dominance. The party surged from 1.3% in 2019 to 22.8% in May 2025, becoming parliament's second-largest force with 60 seats. Chega's core platform emphasizes strict immigration control—ending automatic CPLP residency, deporting non-independent immigrants, implementing job-market quotas, and requiring five-year social security contributions before benefit access. It advocates radical constitutional reform, including reducing parliament to 100 members, abolishing the prime minister position for a presidential system, and dismantling public healthcare. Law-and-order policies include life imprisonment and chemical castration proposals.
The party is defined by inflammatory anti-Romani rhetoric, with Ventura convicted multiple times for discrimination. Chega maintains international alignments with European far-right figures including Marine Le Pen, Santiago Abascal, and Matteo Salvini. Mainstream Portuguese parties, including Prime Minister Luís Montenegro's government, have imposed a cordon sanitaire, refusing coalition with Chega despite its parliamentary strength.
