The President of the East Timor (also known as Timor – Leste) announced today that the recruitment of Timorese workers for jobs in Portugal should occur either locally or upon their arrival in the country, LUSA reports on May 15^th. This measure aims to prevent “false employment agencies” and combat “human trafficking.”

When asked by Lusa about Portugal’s decision to start requiring proof of means of subsistence to grant work visas to citizens of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), José Ramos-Horta remarked: “What would make perfect sense is that any East Timorese who wants to work in Portugal, upon arriving there, would be supported by agencies dedicated to that purpose and would immediately go to work.”

“I understand, on Portugal’s side, that there are precautions,” said the head of state. He cited Japan as an example, which has a program to hire foreign workers who arrive in the country with a contract and guaranteed employment.

Ramos-Horta explained that the objective is “to prevent thousands of people from suddenly going there and only then starting to look for a job.”

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In this regard, the Timorese President also advocated for the establishment of Portuguese recruitment agencies in Timor-Leste.

“They do interviews and recruitment here, all the paperwork is done, to avoid fake employment agencies, combat human trafficking, fake travel agencies. Many Timorese who went to England 20 years ago first went to Portugal and it was a Portuguese agency that organized everything and continues to support Timorese,” he highlighted.

The Secretary of Portuguese Communities, José Cesário, announced on Tuesday that citizens from Portuguese-speaking countries intending to enter Portugal with a CPLP work visa will now need to prove means of subsistence until they find employment, a change from previous plans.

On May 9, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Paulo Rangel, mentioned that the Portuguese Government is working on “labor agreements” with Portuguese-speaking countries to identify labor needs, particularly in agriculture, and to regulate the flow of immigrants.

In October, Portugal and Timor-Leste signed a memorandum of understanding on Labor Mobility aimed at facilitating the legal migration of Timorese workers to Portuguese territory, ensuring their labor rights and social protection.

According to the 2022 Timor-Leste Census, the six main destinations for Timorese emigrants are the United Kingdom, Ireland, South Korea, Australia, Indonesia, and Portugal.

LUSA, Correio da Manhã