According to the Migration and Asylum Report 2024, at the end of December 2024, 1,543,697 foreign citizens were residing in Portugal, a figure lower than the April estimates. Compared to the end of 2017, when 421,802 foreign citizens lived in Portugal, the number almost quadrupled, and it also increased by approximately 240,000 compared to 2023.

The overwhelming majority (71%) have residence permits and have already been assisted by the AIMA Mission Structure for Recovering Pending Cases. 286,302 citizens have already received assistance regarding pending expressions of interest.

The document also cites 61,242 beneficiaries of temporary protection, 7,517 with expired CPLP (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries) residence permits who have already been assisted by the Mission Structure, and 125 individuals recognised in national territory with long-term visas who expressed their intention to remain in the country longer.

Nationalities

"Brazilian nationality continues to be the largest foreign resident community, representing 31.4% of the total," the report adds. Last year, Indian nationality became the second most represented (7.4%), followed by Angolan (6.9%) and Ukrainian (5.9%). In terms of regional groups, the largest increases occurred among citizens of the CPLP countries, the Indian subcontinent, and Europe.

The immigrant population in Portugal is composed mostly of working-age adults, particularly those between 18 and 44 years old (77%), the majority of whom are men (56.1%). "The geographic distribution of the foreign population is predominantly along the coast, with the districts of Lisbon, Faro, Setúbal, and Porto standing out, with a population of 1,100,670 inhabitants (71.3%)," he adds.

By the end of the year, 218,332 residence permits had been issued, 34% fewer than in 2023, an atypical year due to the automatic conversion of expressions of interest into CPLP residence permits.

The report emphasizes that the data essentially reflects AIMA's responsiveness, predicting that, as a result of the work carried out by the Mission Structure, 2025 will see "significant values" corresponding to inflows prior to June 2, 2024, resulting from the expression of interest regime.

Investment

Residence permits for professional activity and for CPLP citizens accounted for 56.3% of new residence permits granted, while 2,081 were for investment, primarily to citizens of the United States, China, and Russia.

A total of 2,677 applications for international protection were registered, with applicants from the African continent accounting for 58.2%, particularly from Senegal, Gambia, and Angola. 1,244 provisional residence permits, refugee status, and subsidiary protection were granted.

The report also states that, as part of its international humanitarian response commitments, Portugal welcomed 46 citizens seeking international protection from Somalia, Guinea-Conakry, Libya, Ethiopia, and six other countries, as well as 152 Afghan citizens under Portugal's Humanitarian Admission Program, who were evacuated following the August 2021 coup d'état.

The number of unaccompanied minors seeking asylum increased 151.9% compared to the previous year, to 204, with more than half coming from Gambia. In its final report, AIMA revises the number of foreign citizens in Portugal in 2023 upwards, from 1,044,606 to 1,304,833, as a result of the work carried out by the Mission Structure.