Imagine walking into a public office in Portugal and hearing a Brazilian accent on the other side of the counter. Or submitting a construction project application and discovering that the person reviewing the application is also a fellow countryman. The scene may seem unusual today, but it has already caught the attention of local authorities.
As parish councilsLocal government entities, with functions similar to those of city halls in Brazil, want to change the current rule and allow the hiring of immigrants through public competitive examinations. The issue has already been brought to the Government's attention as part of discussions on an integration plan.
Currently, this is not allowed. The law requires it. Portuguese nationality for access to most public positions.
Rule prevents hiring.
According to the president of the National Association of Parishes (Anafre)Francisco de Brito explained that the limitation is clear: "At this moment, neither the parish councils nor the Public Administration can hire immigrants," he said. to the Expresso newspaper.
He explains that the public tender model restricts access. "The tenders require that the person to be hired have Portuguese nationality," he explained. In practice, this prevents resident foreigners from joining the parish staff.
Worker shortage puts pressure on change.
To proposal it emerges in a context of labor shortage.Francisco de Brito states that the difficulty is widespread. "What we said is that we are currently experiencing a great shortage of manpower, especially in operational sectors," he reported.
Given this situation, the parishes are advocating for broader access to the competitions.
Integration as an argument
Openness is also seen as a form of social integration. "If we don't open up, we're not integrating."
The official also states that there are foreigners capable of contributing. "There are many foreign citizens who could collaborate." Today, one alternative is hiring through service contracts, but this model is criticized. "The tenders are open to anyone with Portuguese nationality. We can recruit workers with freelance contracts," he explained.
Nevertheless, the solution is not considered adequate, mainly due to the existence of precarious employment relationships.
Limits of the current law
The General Law on Public Service Employment requires Portuguese nationality for establishing a link with the State. The Constitution allows for exceptions, but in a limited way, especially for technical functions. This framework has been interpreted by local authorities as an impediment to opening competitions for immigrants.
Request to the Government
The proposal was discussed with the Secretary of State for Immigration as part of the creation of an integration plan. Anafre is requesting a review of the legislation to allow the hiring of resident foreign citizens through public competitive examinations.
So far, the government has not responded on the matter.
What can change
If the law is changed, the functioning of the parishes, structures equivalent to sub-prefectures, may undergo changes.
The pool of candidates would be expanded, and immigrants could fill public positions that are currently restricted. In practice, situations that seem uncommon today could become part of the daily administrative routine in Portugal.
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