Latest news and stories about hate crimes in Portugal for expats and residents.
Police recorded 449 reports of hate crimes in 2025, an increase of 6.7% in one year.
The Minister of Justice revealed this Tuesday that data from the Annual Internal Security Report points to an increase of about 6 percent in hate crimes in Portugal last year.
The Minister of Justice stated that “all politicians” must have “a role of conscience” in how they communicate and “set an example”.
Authorities are investigating Afonso Gonçalves, leader of the Reconquista group, for hate crimes.
The latest operation by the Polícia Judiciária (PJ) against Grupo 1143 has once again exposed a reality known to investigators and magistrates for decades: in Portugal, violent far-right groups rarely disappear; they transform, fragment, and reappear under new names, leaderships, and strategies. The so-called 'Operation Brotherhood', led by the National Counterterrorism Unit (UNTC) of the PJ last month, targeted a structure suspected of crimes including discrimination, incitement to hatred and violence, assaults, and possession of prohibited weapons. However, for investigators, 1143 does not exist in a vacuum. It is part of a dynamic where historical neo-Nazi groups, identity movements, conspiracy networks, and new digital radicalisation platforms coexist, focusing on youth. Some of these groups have roots in the 1990s; others emerged in the social media era. Many share members, symbolism, narratives, and international contacts. More than isolated structures, they form a fluid environment where militants circulate among names, projects, and causes. This report outlines the main groups currently flagged by the PJ, with the caveat that there may be others still under investigation.
A report by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights warns that the lack of reliable, comparable data is hampering efforts to combat antisemitism. Today marks International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
According to the PJ (Judiciary Police), the detainees include suspects with extensive criminal records and links to international hate groups. Mário Machado, a well-known neo-Nazi who is serving a sentence for similar crimes, is considered the leader of this group — he gives instructions from prison. Among those arrested are individuals linked to Group 1143, a radical faction of the Juventude Leonina supporters' group.
The Polícia Judiciária launched an operation early this morning, from north to south of the country, to combat hate crimes committed against immigrants, a police source confirmed. According to the source, the operation began at 07:00 and was still ongoing at 09:30. CNN Portugal reported that the Police Counterterrorism Unit...
On Tuesday, searches are under way at dozens of locations across the country. The operation concerns crimes of discrimination and incitement to hatred against immigrants.
