Immigration policies must ensure respect for people’s dignity

Prime Minister Luís Montenegro noted the reflection by the European Council on "the Union’s capacity to execute its asylum and migration pact and conduct a status report on the various dimensions where this subject intertwines with each Member State’s political choices. There is a huge diversity when it comes to positions and situations. What we have in Portugal in terms of migratory pressure is not the same as what happens in Italy, Greece, Poland, and the (EU’s] foreign borders to the east" 

"All of these dimensions were greatly explored" he said at the end of the meeting of the European Union Heads of State and Government in Brussels, adding that he spoke of "Portugal’s evolution towards more regulation and ensuring respect for people’s dignity. There is no virtuous immigration without regulation and fostering and integration conditions. This is the principle upon which we work, also in accordance with the President of the Commission’s position, as per the missive sent out to all Member States".

Luís Montenegro also noted that Portugal presented "a proposal for including the importance of having responses for events such as desertification and soil degradation in the climate change policies, as these have a huge impact as a consequence of wildfires", and this is "one of the areas where European solidarity can be shown through policies and funding actions that guarantee biodiversity and recovering the natural heritage".

Historical summit

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of the summit between the members of the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, and the [Persian] Gulf Cooperation council on 16 October, prior to the meeting of the EU Heads of State and Government on the 17th, in Brussels, adding that "this was the first time such a meeting was held, which is a historical landmark in deepening the strategic partnership between the European Union and the countries that make up the Gulf Cooperation Council". 

This summit "is an instrument to broaden the EU’s political relevance and the existence of a platform for dialogue at the service of peace, economic growth, international trade, cooperation in the field of energy, climate change, scientific research and innovation and, in a particularly important point for Portugal, cooperation in the field of maritime security, namely to ensure freedom to navigate and assure the regular operation of the supply chains", he said, recalling that Portugal "has deployed its forces to safeguard maritime mobility conditions".

Assistance to Ukraine

Luís Montenegro also mentioned at the Council meeting "the interaction with President Volodimir Zelenski on Ukraine’s situation, where the EU assistance was reiterated from a political, financial, military, humanitarian, and diplomatic standpoint. This is a point on which Europe has remained cohesive, solidary, and concentrated in ensuring the respect for international law and citizens’ fundamental rights".

The Council also discussed the situation in the Near and Middle East. "Everyone knows we took part in the EU’s position on the urgency of a cease-fire in Gaza and Lebanon, upholding international law and, especially, humanitarian law". When we speak of this, "we are also speaking of the respect for the international institutions and organisations at the helm of which stand the UN", he said. 

"I mentioned at the meeting that the remarks made [by the Israeli Prime Minister] on the UN Secretary General are not an attack on the person, they are an attack on the principles of international law, humanitarian law, the prevalence of force of the international organisations, especially the United Nations. I proposed to include in the Council conclusions the EU’s full solidarity towards the UN Secretary General and that him being considered a persona non grata is not suited and must be removed", he claimed.