Paulo Estêvão stresses that Azorean Parliament "cannot tolerate" inequalities in access to social mobility aid - Communication

Secretaria Regional dos Assuntos Parlamentares e Comunidades

The Regional Secretary for Parliamentary Affairs and Communities, Paulo Estêvão, defended today in a parliamentary debate that the Legislative Assembly of the Autonomous Region of the Azores "cannot tolerate" any "inequalities" in citizens' access to the social mobility aid.

Recalling the "different interpretation, after nine years in force," which has now been raised and jeopardises around 2,500 immigrants living in the Azores, he stated that if this were to continue, it would "create a brutal injustice" that "the Autonomous Region of the Azores could not tolerate."

Today's parliamentary debate saw the approval of a Preliminary Draft Law introducing the first amendment to Decree-Law 41/2015 of March 24, which regulates the granting of social mobility aid to beneficiary citizens for air services between Mainland Portugal and the Autonomous Region of the Azores and between the latter and the Autonomous Region of Madeira.

The text advocates "humane, dignified and constructive immigration for the sustainable development of Portugal."

Subsequently, it was also approved that the aforementioned draft law be put on the National Assembly's agenda.

This measure, which can only be used in exceptional cases, "honours the Azorean Parliament and regional autonomy," defended Paulo Estêvão.