Portugal has ended the practice of allowing illegally arrived migrant workers to stay in the country while applying for a work permit, as per reports.

This change is simply an alignment with European regulations, says the country’s Deputy Minister Rui Armindo Freitas, who is in charge of immigration policy.

“The possibility of entering the country first and then obtaining the necessary papers attracted many illegal migrant workers,” said Freitas.

This loophole needed to be closed quickly, he told DW, because of a "backlog of around 400,000 legalization applications" at the immigration agency AIMA.

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"The processing of these applications, some of which were submitted two years ago, should be organized by June of next year at the latest. We aim to solve problems that have built up over many years," said Freitas, as per the DW report.

Since June, migrants seeking employment in Portugal must apply for their residence permits at a Portuguese embassy or consulate located outside the country.

This requirement is frustrating for many abroad, as several traditional source countries for foreign workers lack a Portuguese embassy or consulate. For instance, farm workers and harvesting assistants from Nepal or Bangladesh must now apply for their visas at the Portuguese embassy in New Delhi, India, as per the report.

Portugal's economy heavily relies on migrant workers, primarily from Asian countries, who are engaged in...

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