AIMA staff union calls warning that foreigners at protests could lose residence permits "irresponsible and dangerous"
On 4 November the Sindicato dos Técnicos de Migração (STM), the union representing staff at the AIMA immigration agency, said it was "irresponsible and dangerous" of the government to link, in parliament, foreigners' participation in protests to the possible loss of their residence permits (Notícias ao Minuto). The day before, the Secretary of State for Immigration, Rui Armindo Freitas, had warned that if a foreigner at a housing protest endangers public order, their residence permit could be cancelled and they would then have to leave the country within 20 days. We wrote about this: Foreigners who disturb public order at housing protests risk losing their residence permits.
The Secretary of State made it clear that taking part in a protest is not in itself the issue. But the union believes that, even with this caveat, immigrants will take his words as intimidation and will be afraid to exercise the right to protest, "which everyone who lives in Portugal has". "An immigrant with legal status is subject to the country's laws like any citizen, but those same laws must also protect them," the union's statement says (Observador).
The lawyers' association Associação Portuguesa Advocatus Iustitia has asked the government to state publicly that taking part peacefully in protests "does not and will not have any consequences" for residence permits. "A Portuguese person who attacks a police officer will answer to a court, and so will a foreigner," the lawyers write: the law must apply equally to everyone, without singling out one group in the crowd (Notícias ao Minuto).
The next housing protests will take place on 20–22 November. We wrote about them: 20–22 November — housing protests at the same time in Portugal and six other countries.
