FALSE: Portugal is deporting 60,000 Ukrainian refugees

Users, referring to an article by the Polish outlet Wiadomosci, are spreading information claiming that Portugal is deporting 60,000 Ukrainians after the repeal of special laws for refugees.

However, this is not true. Portugal will not deport all refugees who arrived in the country after February 24, 2022, but will check whether they have grounds to remain under temporary protection. 

On November 11, Wiadomosci published a piece titled “Ukrainians are losing ‘temporary protection’ in Portugal. They are receiving summonses.” However, it did not state that Portugal was going to deport 60,000 Ukrainian refugees. The outlet reported that Ukrainians and refugees of other nationalities who left Ukraine after the start of the full-scale invasion would need to provide additional information and clarify their residence status in Portugal; otherwise, they could indeed be deported.

At the Portuguese Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), officials explained that they are reviewing temporary protection permits granted to everyone who arrived in Portugal from Ukraine after February 2022. This concerns 65,000 people: 60,000 Ukrainians and 5,000 refugees of other nationalities. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, those seeking shelter were granted temporary protection in Portugal without proper document checks. Now, the country’s authorities want to verify whether the documents provided by refugees meet the requirements for obtaining protection.

At the same time, students who wish to continue studying in Portugal will be able to remain in the country, but under a different status — with a “student visa,” provided they meet the legal requirements. Minister for the Presidency António Leitão Amaro stated that each such case would be considered individually.

The minister also reported that the review has already begun, and that for individuals who were able to provide the necessary documents, temporary protection permits have remained valid. That is, Portugal will not deport all refugees who arrived in the country after the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, but will check whether they have the necessary grounds to remain under temporary protection.