The Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro attended the United Nations General Assembly in New York for the International Migration Review Forum 2026 (IMRF26), an initiative focused on implementing the Global Compact for Migration.

During the speech, Portugal reiterated its commitment to a regulated, safe, orderly, and humane migration policy based on a balanced approach between integration, control, and international cooperation.

During the meeting, Portugal pledged 600 thousand dollars to the Migration Multi-Partner Trust Fund, reinforcing the commitment to global solutions and acting on the causes of migration.

The Government also put forward a set of measures and commitments in line with goals of the Global Compact for Migration, among which:
• reinforcing the network of Immigration Liaison Officers
• the availability to discuss agreements with third parties, ensuring greater efficacy in the return mechanisms
• launching a new National Integration Plan
• the creation of a voluntary return incentive programme.

In his speech, António Leitão Amaro stressed that “words are not enough” and advocated the need to turn international commitments into concrete action.

Portugal presented itself at the IMRF26 as one of the most active countries in implementing the Global Compact for Migration, belonging to the group of States that promote the implementation of migration policy based on clear rules, international cooperation, and evidence.

The Government also noted the reforms undertaken since April 2024, to wit:
• boosting the legal and safe means for migration
• eliminating precarious regularisation mechanisms
• investing in control and administrative response capabilities
• recovering more than one million pending case files
• strengthening integration and support for immigrant communities’ programmes.

The Portuguese migration policy is based on the idea that there is no humanism without rules, nor are there legitimate rules without humanism, combining the protection of human dignity, effective integration, credible control, and public trust in the migration system.

Portugal further reaffirmed its commitment to the implementation of the 23 goals of the Global Compact for Migration and the development of migration policies that reconcile responsibility, security, legality, and respect for fundamental rights.