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Mediterranean Quarterly 16.4 (2005) 112-139



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Portugal's Migration Experience:

Redefined Boundaries and Uneasy Transformations

Historically, Portugal has been known as a country of emigration. Over the past five centuries Portuguese citizens have emigrated all over the world as Portuguese colonization extended to South America, Africa, and Asia. The last major migratory movement took place following World War II, when Portuguese emigrated, mostly to West European countries, in search of economic opportunities. However, the political, economic, and social factors that led to this exodus have disappeared, and over the past two decades the transformation of Portugal has decreased dramatically the emigration of Portuguese citizens abroad.

Since the second half of the 1970s there have been two main changes. First, the process of decolonization and the subsequent independence of the Portuguese colonies in the 1970s led to the return of Portuguese citizens that had been still living in the former colonies. This development also led to an inflow of foreigners of African origin from the colonies, which continues to this day and has had an important impact on the makeup of the Portuguese population. As a result, Africa has surpassed Europe as the region of origin for the largest contingent of legalized foreigners living in Portugal.1

At the same time, the combined processes of democratization and European integration in the 1970s and 1980s transformed political, social, and [End Page 112] economic conditions in Portugal. This development provided incentives for those who had emigrated to return to Portugal and stemmed the outflow of Portuguese citizens abroad. Between 1974 and 1975 approximately six hundred thousand Portuguese citizens returned largely as a result of the change to a democratic regime and decolonization. The increasing restrictions on entries that followed the establishment of a democratic regime and the incorporation of Portugal into the European Community also influenced the immigration patterns of non-Portuguese citizens.

Historically, Portugal has been unified, with centralized power enforced over the whole territory. Consequently, although there are differences among the country's regions, the language, law, currency, and culture have remained homogenous. Factors such as the mobilization of conscripts to fight the colonial wars, the broadening of television coverage, and the establishment of educational and social networks that cover all the country have contributed to national integration. However, the social, cultural, demographic, and economic impacts of immigration have grown exponentially over the last decade.

My purpose in this article is to examine the evolution of migration flows in Portugal and explore the reasons behind the conversion of Portugal into a recipient of immigration and the consequences of this development. The main sources of data are the Portuguese government's Immigration and Border Department (SEF) and the Portuguese National Statistical Institute (INE).2 The article is divided into two main sections. The first presents an overview of the Portuguese emigration experience over the past five decades, and the second section outlines the evolution of migration flows over the past two decades. There is in conclusion a brief examination of the impact of European Union enlargement for Portugal. [End Page 113]

Patterns of Portuguese Emigration after the Second World War

Portugal has a strong tradition as a country of emigrants. Migration has been an important process in Portugal's history, and it has had a significant impact on the economic, social, and cultural landscape of the country. Emigration has been determined largely by economic, social, and political conditions within Portugal and abroad. The perception about the potential for opportunities as well as the strength of the network of emigrants in Portugal and other countries have played a significant role in the evolution of migration patterns. Portuguese people have migrated to the Americas (United States, Venezuela, and Brazil); Europe (France, Luxembourg, and Germany); Africa; and Asia. Up to the 1950s, more than 80 percent of the Portuguese migration was directed to Brazil. After World War II, France replaced Brazil as the main destination of Portuguese emigrants.

Emigration policies in Portugal until the second half of the 1970s were highly regulated and conditioned by the economic needs of the state and...

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