The head of the United Transitional Cabinet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, and the head of the mission of democratic forces in Madrid and Imaguru Hub, Tatsiana Marynich, spoke at the Web Summit in Lisbon on November 11. They appealed to the Portuguese government to support Belarusian immigrants in the country, Correio da Manhã reported.
The appeal followed recent amendments to Portugal’s Citizenship Law, which have made it more difficult for Belarusian citizens to extend their residence permits.
“Unfortunately, a recent change in Portuguese legislation has made it impossible for many Belarusians to extend their residence permits or continue living here,” Marynich said at a press conference at the Web Summit.
“We respectfully ask the Portuguese government to continue supporting Belarusian entrepreneurs and to provide them with legal and institutional assistance so they can fully contribute to the Portuguese economy,” she added.
Earlier, it was reported that Tsikhanouskaya’s Office had sent an official request to the Portuguese authorities regarding issues raised during meetings with Belarusians.