The current situation of Portuguese migrations in the European context: social policies and practices

Abstract

The constant modifications manifested in Portugal concerning mobility, results from the different articulations of political conjunctures that confer new situations to the migratory phenomenon, regarded as one of the social structures of the country. The geographical position, the development of science provided by the knowledge of those who settled in it, including Jews and Arabs, has enabled the development of innovative pathways that discovered new territories and new people. The way the interaction between those on the “inside” and those on the “outside” was developed, due to the rules imposed by the absolutist power installed for centuries – via monarchy or republican regime – was only intersected by paths that supported constitutionalism and liberal ideologies. The April Revolution (1974) introduces democracy as a major innovation and from it both internal and external policies take on new guidelines. A 41-year course reflects the entire set of changes in the management of the migratory policy. Its evolution comprehends the possibilities and the restrictions imposed by the institutional frame regarding the verified mobility.