Vice-Minister of Interior, António Armindo, accompanied by the Minister of Health, Mrs. Odete Maria Freitas Belo, participated in the public hearing, on July 22nd, 2020, with Committee B of the National Parliament, to discuss the Draft Law regarding the Migration Law and Asylum first amendment.
The main goal of the meeting was to enlighten the members of the National Parliament Committee that deals with matters related to foreign affairs, defence and security, on the main points and impacts of the Government proposed amendment to Law No. 11/2017, of May 24th.
The discussion focused mainly on the changes to articles 10, 11 and 57 of the Draft Law, that aims to allow the Government to order the temporary closure of border posts, when there is a pandemic or health emergency of international scope, in accordance with the International Health Regulations approved by the World Health Organization.
With the approval of this Migration and Asylum Law amendment, foreigners, in whose country of origin, or in a country they have passed through in transit, there is an outbreak of cases of disease that due to its degree of transmissibility, by infection or contamination, constitute, once imported into the national territory, a risk to public health, may also be temporarily prohibited from entering.
Committee B also presented some recommendations, namely for the harmonization of this Law with the Civil Protection Law, recently approved by the National Parliament, in order to guarantee the continuity of good service provision to the population.
Vice-Minister of Interior thanked the MP’s contributions and expressed the Government’s commitment to make improvements in the migration service system, in order to improve the provision of public services to the entire population.
António Armindo also reiterated the Government’s willingness to continue to provide any further clarification that may be necessary on this matter, as well as, to hear the arguments and contributions of the members of the National Parliament.