New Rules in Portuguese Healthcare System Criticized as 'Discriminatory Against Immigrants'
The civic organization 'Humanity Beyond Borders' (HuBB) has questioned the changes to the registration rules in the National Health Service (SNS), arguing that these new rules pose a risk to society and violate the rights of immigrants.
In an interview with Lusa, Dr. Ana Logrado from HuBB pointed out that these new rules will not solve the difficulties people face in accessing SNS services but will instead exclude the most vulnerable groups in society, especially immigrants.
While the new rules are ostensibly aimed at improving the public healthcare system, in practice, they make it more difficult for immigrants to access healthcare.
‘Several difficulties in the SNS have already been identified, but the measures taken to address them involve selectively excluding certain groups. These groups are used as ‘scapegoats’ with the justification that by dealing with these specific groups, the problems in the SNS will be resolved,’ she said.
‘Currently, anyone without a valid residence permit is automatically excluded from primary healthcare registration,’ the doctor emphasized.
In other words, people without legal status no longer have the right to register with a family doctor.
The detailed regulations that were supposed to be published by December last year have not yet been released, meaning that ‘every technician working in health units has to interpret the government orders based on their own understanding,’ as they have not received ‘clear operational guidelines’.
‘There are people living in Portugal who had valid residence permits, but they have now expired. They are waiting for notifications from AIMA to renew their permits, but during this period, they are prohibited from using healthcare services,’
In a statement, HuBB called on the government to ensure that ‘no administrative decision results in discrimination or unreasonable restriction of the right to health,’ emphasizing the need to guarantee equal access to healthcare for all, regardless of their migration status, and requesting clarification of the rules.
HuBB also emphasized the need to ‘respect patient privacy and prohibit the sharing of medical data with other entities responsible for deportations or visa denials’.
According to the new rules, ‘if a foreigner has not consulted their family doctor in the past five years, they may be removed from the doctor’s patient list, which does not apply to Portuguese citizens.’ Ana Logrado added, calling this a ‘violation of constitutional rights’.
HuBB noted that ‘the measures established in Dispatches No. 14830/2024 and No. 40/2025 create administrative barriers that may weaken the universal right to health and exacerbate the exclusion of vulnerable groups.’
Therefore, ‘given the impact of these measures, we demand the revocation of these provisions and a clear commitment to defend the right to health for all, regardless of nationality or residency status,’ the organization concluded.