Canadian government open to resolving the situation of illegal Portuguese in the country

The President of the Republic considered that the Government of Canada is open to resolving the situation of the Portuguese who work in the country but remain in an illegal situation, which he admitted numbered “tens of thousands.”

“They are working hard in Canada and I think there is great openness on the part of the Canadian government to solve the problem,” Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa told reporters during a walking tour of the most Portuguese neighborhood in Toronto, known as “Little Portugal”. The Head of State was asked about this issue at the end of his five-day official visit to Canada dedicated to the communities of Portuguese emigrants in that country.

“Throughout my stay I spoke with Prime Minister Trudeau, who agreed that it was necessary to legalize them. Some have been here 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, others five years. I met several who greeted me on the way to the university. [de Toronto]They are not legalized, not documented,” responded the President of the Republic.

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa added that he also spoke about this issue with the Canadian Immigration Minister “and was the first to recognize that it needs to be resolved urgently.” Highlighting that “Canada is committed to maintaining an open position on immigration,” Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa said that “it seems fair that before addressing immigration in general, we address those who already work and already create wealth.”

According to the President of the Republic, the 2021 census indicated that nearly 450 thousand people of Portuguese origin live in Canada, but, in addition to them, “there are probably tens of thousands – 10 thousand, 15 thousand, 20 thousand – throughout the country. this continent” that “are not legalized, but are fundamental” in sectors such as water and sanitation, infrastructure and public works.