Friday, 22 May 2026

Police forces are recording an average of 78 domestic violence incidents and nine arrests daily during the first three months of 2026. Data shows a 222% increase in the use of electronic monitoring tags for these cases over the last decade, with such measures now accounting for 60% of all electronic surveillance orders.

Infrastructure Minister Miguel Pinto Luz acknowledged that long border control queues at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports are damaging Portugal's international image. Passenger numbers have risen by nearly 70% over the last decade, yet infrastructure and staffing levels have not kept pace, leading to significant delays for travelers arriving from outside the Schengen Area.

The European Commission projects that Portugal will shift from a fiscal surplus to a 0.1% deficit of GDP in 2026, citing the impact of tax cuts and support measures following recent storms. Brussels also anticipates that Portuguese exports will continue to lose international market share through 2027, contrasting with the government's own projections of a zero fiscal balance.

The Council of Ministers has approved a new social action model for higher education, raising the average annual grant from 1,734 euros to 2,660 euros. The government is increasing its total investment to 220 million euros for the 2026/2027 academic year, with maximum grants reaching up to 7,818 euros for displaced students from low-income households.

The mother and stepfather of two young French brothers, aged 3 and 5, were arrested by the National Republican Guard (Guarda Nacional Republicana or GNR) in Fátima. The children were found abandoned near a road in Alcácer do Sal earlier this week, and the case is now under investigation by the Judicial Police (Polícia Judiciária or PJ) for suspected domestic violence and child abandonment.

The Portuguese government has backed an Italian proposal for the European Union to sanction Israel's National Security Minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, following his treatment of activists from the Global Sumud flotilla. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro and Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel condemned the public humiliation of detainees, while the government is also considering a partial suspension of agreements with Israel.

The Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere (Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera or IPMA) warns that airborne dust from North Africa will persist across mainland Portugal until Saturday. Temperatures are expected to remain above average, reaching up to 35 °C in many regions, leading health authorities to advise vulnerable groups to stay indoors.

The government has implemented a new tax package for housing, including a reduction in the value-added tax (Imposto sobre o Valor Acrescentado or IVA) on construction from 23% to 6% and a decrease in the personal income tax (Imposto sobre o Rendimento das Pessoas Singulares or IRS) on rental income to 10%. These measures, which aim to increase housing supply and support tenants, apply retroactively to the beginning of the year. Additionally, the annual deduction limit for rent paid under the IRS has increased from 700 to 900 euros.

The Special Rural Firefighting Device (Dispositivo Especial de Combate a Incêndios Rurais or DECIR) is currently operating without its full complement of aerial assets. The Portuguese Air Force (Força Aérea Portuguesa or FAP) confirmed that two state-owned helicopters are undergoing maintenance, though they are expected to return to service by the end of May.

Portugal's updated nationality law has officially increased residency requirements for citizenship, extending the threshold from five to seven years for nationals of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa or CPLP). Immigrant associations have met with the Presidency to voice concerns regarding bureaucracy at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo or AIMA) and the impact of these legislative changes.

The Court of Appeal has validated evidence of corruption and other crimes against Pedro Calado, a key figure in the case that led to the resignation of the Madeira regional government. In a separate incident, the mayor of Vila do Conde, Isaac Braga, has resigned from his position following allegations of personal spending using parish council funds.

Portugal's revised nationality law, published in the Diário da República, has officially increased the residency requirement for citizenship for nationals of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (Comunidade dos Países de Língua Portuguesa or CPLP) from five to seven years. Foreigners from outside the European Union now face a 10-year residency threshold before they are eligible to apply for Portuguese citizenship.