More than 70% of emigrants want to return to Portugal
More than 7% of Portuguese residing abroad, on average or want to, and 73% have already invested or return on term as likely to invest in their country, according to a second term, a survey by Headquarters released this Tuesday.
Of the 300 emigrants and Portuguese descendants1 covered by the survey, 8% said they did not intend to return to live in their country of origin, while they want to return, 1.6% said they would return in the short term and 71% responded that they would return to live in Portugal in the medium or long term or only after retirement (43% and 28%, respectively).
the 6% of Portuguese people are for 6% of Portuguese people who still don’t have their country.
On the other hand, 19% say it is due to lack of social recognition of their functions and functions, when compared to their host country and 30% indicate as a reason for not having returned to the levels of patronage and data in Portugal .
For 27% of respondents, the lack of professional opportunity is the obstacle to return, while for 22% it is the poor health system.
Administrative services in Portugal are also indicated as an obstacle by 16% of inquiries and the political system in Portugal by 11%, as well as the Portuguese legal system, which is mentioned by another 11%.
Only 6% mention the lack of support for their return as an obstacle and another 6% say they cannot come to Portugal yet so as not to interrupt their children’s schooling.
More and better communication and information, greater proximity, better consular services and a stronger and more formal connection with some of the aspects that the emigrants surveyed consider as the main communities to strengthen their connection to Portugal.
But other important aspects also refer to the existence of policies to promote the teaching of Portuguese language and history, the best media dedicated to communities, the strengthening of ties with Portuguese descendants who consider themselves to be Portuguese on the move or residents. abroad with the same value and respect as the examples living in the country, often referring to disrespectful consular service as contrary to this.
In addition, we have the presence of Portugal to “facilitate the exercise of voting”, have “greater work in consular posts” and “greater service in consular posts”.
Desire for “less bureaucracy and administrative slowness”
The emigrants mentioned by the survey also point to the need to create “an emigrant ombudsman and that there is “less bureaucracy” and administrative slowness”. But it also defends that the realities of the Portuguese communities be addressed and that synergies between them and the country be strengthened, through greater dialogue and cooperation.
However, from the universe of 300 surveys carried out by Sedes – Association for Economic and Social Development, “73% have already invested or assess how a home is likely to be a business to invest in Portugal”, in one thing or another.
According to the same, 32% have already done so, and it refers to the fact that an older emigration has traditionally invested in a secondary residence, or even sent many remittances to Portugal (savings), projecting a return in the short or medium term as objective.
In the survey, the majority of those who say they come from the new wave of emigration, so 32% say they can represent a universe, despite the fact that the total of respondents only invest the least, investing the least1 in the country and 13% are considered unlikely to invest in Portugal.
As for the question about how likely they are to promote the products among their networks of contacts, 65% have already responded and a total of 31% said it is “likely” or “very likely” to be able to do so.
This survey, which falls within the scope of Portuguese activities, by the Observatory of Portuguese Communities, residing abroad, between 60% and between 40 and 65 years and 26% between 26 and 40 years.
As for the period of emigration of respondents, 40.5% came from the new wave of emigration and 18% emigrated in the 1960s/1970s. Already 11.3% of respondents are of Portuguese descent.
The survey coordinator, Christine de Oliveira, told the Lusa agency in May that it would allow “bringing more scientific and empirical knowledge to issues that have been less common for several years”.
The inquiry assumes a larger vote after the previous act, the legislations of 30 January, which were recurrent in the circle of Europe, after irregularities with the emigration ballot papers.
The main purpose of the study, Christine Oliveira said at the time, was “to have a scientific basis or a more comprehensive objective, preferably with valid answers from all”.
According to the report by the Emigration Observatory, presented in 2021, and according to United Nations statistics, in 2019 there were about 2.6 million Portuguese emigrants.