Ventura says he is 99.9% sure that Marcelo will send the foreigners' law to the Constitutional Court

The president of Chega, André Ventura, said today that he is “99.9% certain” that the President of the Republic will send the law that changes the legal regime for the entry and stay of foreigners for preventive inspection by the Constitutional Court.

"I am 99.9% certain that the President of the Republic will send the new law on foreigners approved by the National Assembly to the Constitutional Court," said André Ventura, after a meeting with the head of state at Belém Palace.

Ventura recalled that his party requested this hearing because it considered it “important and urgent” that new legislation on this matter come into force.

However, according to Chega leader Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, "he believes there are issues of legal certainty that need to be safeguarded, particularly for their practical application in the courts and to resolve issues raised by various members of civil society, experts and non-experts, and various entities."

“That is why this diploma will almost certainly be sent to the Constitutional Court for preventive review,” he added.

Today, Livre and the PCP will also be received by the head of state with the foreigners' law on the agenda, and the newly elected IL leader will present her greetings.

The Left Bloc, which was the first party to announce a request for a hearing with the head of state regarding changes to the legal regime governing the entry, stay, exit and removal of foreigners from national territory, will be received on Thursday.

BE, Livre and PCP oppose the changes that were approved in plenary session last Wednesday, while Chega wants the President of the Republic to urgently promulgate the parliamentary decree.

The new regime limits work-seeking visas to "skilled work"—for people with "specialized technical skills," to be defined later by executive order—and restricts family reunification for immigrants, granting more rights in this regard to those with certain types of residence permits, such as so-called "golden visas."

Under the Constitution, the President of the Republic has twenty days to promulgate or exercise the right of veto in relation to any decree of the Assembly of the Republic and may request the Constitutional Court to carry out a preventive assessment of its constitutionality within eight days of receiving the diploma.

According to the website of the Assembly of the Republic, the decree was sent to the Belém Palace last Thursday.