Friday, 3 April 2026

Nearly 3,000 Nepalese nationals living in Portugal are at risk of expulsion after submitting residency applications that included forged stamps on otherwise genuine criminal records. These individuals, who have been working in the country since 2022, were reportedly victims of a scam. The government of Nepal has formally requested assistance from Portuguese authorities to resolve the status of these residents.

The President of the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República), José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, has extended the deadline for political parties to submit candidate lists for the Constitutional Court (Tribunal Constitucional) and other external bodies until next Tuesday. The Socialist Party (Partido Socialista or PS) parliamentary leader, Eurico Brilhante Dias, stated that negotiations are ongoing and expressed hope for a consensus. This extension follows months of impasse regarding the selection of judges and officials for key state institutions.

The Executive Directorate has increased the maximum waiting time for very high-priority scheduled surgeries from 15 to 30 days. Health authorities claim this adjustment allows for a greater number of patients to be treated, though the National Medical Association (Ordem dos Médicos) and the National Federation of Doctors (Federação Nacional dos Médicos or FNAM) have expressed opposition to the change. Critics argue the policy facilitates patient transfers to the private sector without strengthening the National Health Service (Serviço Nacional de Saúde or SNS).

The government has issued a new ordinance updating the rules for Annex H of the personal income tax (Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares or IRS) return to include expenses related to domestic work. Although this tax benefit was legally established last year, previous regulations failed to cover it. The update corrects this administrative oversight, allowing taxpayers to claim these deductions in their current filings.

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro has announced the 'Portugal Energy Resilience' (Portugal Resiliência Energética) support line, a €600 million initiative aimed at companies where energy costs exceed 20% of production expenses. Operationalised by the Portuguese Development Bank (Banco Português de Fomento), the scheme provides state-backed credit to help businesses manage cash flow and operational needs. The announcement coincided with the second anniversary of the current government's term.

The Portuguese Society of Allergology and Clinical Immunology (Sociedade Portuguesa de Alergologia e Imunologia Clínica or SPAIC) has issued a warning for high pollen concentrations across mainland Portugal from April 3 to April 9. The forecast indicates elevated risks from various tree species, including cypress, pine, and birch, as well as several types of grasses. Residents in the autonomous regions are expected to experience lower pollen levels during this period.

The Portuguese Parliament has approved a new Penal Code amendment that allows judges to strip acquired nationality as an accessory penalty for certain crimes, including drug and arms trafficking. The measure passed with support from the PSD, Chega, IL, and CDS-PP, though the Socialist Party (PS) is currently evaluating whether to request a review by the Constitutional Court. Critics argue the law retains significant legal issues previously identified by the court, while supporters describe the agreement as a positive step.

The government has submitted a proposal to the Assembly of the Republic (Assembleia da República) to ratify an agreement with Brazil that simplifies school equivalence for basic and secondary education. Currently, Brazilian students represent nearly half of all foreign pupils in Portuguese public schools. While the agreement addresses primary and secondary levels, it does not yet extend to higher education.

The latest Annual Internal Security Report (Relatório Anual de Segurança Interna or RASI) indicates that while violent and serious crime decreased in Lisbon, Porto, and Coimbra, it rose significantly in interior districts like Beja, Vila Real, and Guarda. The report also highlights a sharp increase in crimes related to illegal immigration and a rise in homicides and sexual offenses compared to the previous decade. Police associations have expressed concerns that these official figures may still underrepresent the actual crime situation in the country.