Three Decades Later… Evolution of Immigrant Incorporation Policies in Portugal: A New Reading

This article discusses the evolution of Portuguese immigrant incorporation policies, from 1980s to 2018. Migrants’ incoporation policies have become part of the national public agenda only recently, however, throughout this period of 30 years, many significant changes have been registered. We argue that even if advances have taken place, there is no single solid, continued and coherent strategy of the Portuguese State, changes have been advancing in one direction but at two different speeds. The difference in speeds may be associated with existing pressures arising from civil society, the European Union and the State’s own convictions about what policies should be. We focus on two differen types of incorporation policies to argue that while nationality policies have moved forward, anti-discrimination policies have been less progressive and assertive. To show this, we critically analyze the evolution of legislation (decrees & laws) and the official programs of the Portuguese government in these two fields of incorporation policies