Why Portugal has caught the eyes of Americans looking for progressive legislation
Last week the world watched closely as the US Supreme Court overturned the landmark ruling that gave women the constitutional right to access abortions. For many US citizens still deciding whether to move abroad, this comes as another trigger, together with the mass shootings, rising living costs, and a lack of affordable healthcare policy, which have each created wave after wave of dissatisfaction with the USA’s current state of affairs.
Americans are flocking to Europe for many reasons, but the overturning of Roe v. Wade, a constitutional right for women that has been standing since 1973, highlights the anxiety that Americans are facing in their home country. This latest unfolding of events could be the tip of the iceberg for US citizens questioning the continuity of laws and rights established long ago. What does this mean for same-sex marriage and adoption in the USA? These are questions that have already been raised.
As a consultancy firm based in Portugal, we have noticed an increase in interest of Americans in Portugal´s migration programs since last Friday’s announcement. We have also seen indecisive clients fully committing to their decision to invest in a citizenship program in Portugal and safeguard their future. In this article, I’d like to delve into why Portugal is a safe and stable choice for US citizens who are considering moving to another country. Portugal is not only one of the safest countries in the world to live, with a high quality of life, but is also a very progressive country when it comes to human rights.
History has proven that setbacks in legislation, such as with the overturning of Roe v. Wade in America, are very unlikely to come about in Portugal. When Progressive legislation has come into force in the country, it is pretty much a given that the law is here to stay.
A brief history on Portuguese human rights regulations
In 1761, Portugal took the first step towards abolishing slavery and, although it was not immediate, it was a process that never experienced setbacks. Portugal began to abolish the death penalty in 1852 for political crimes and, in 1867, it abolished the death penalty for general crimes. Abolition came to be expressly enshrined in the 1976 Constitution.
The principle of equality enshrined in the Constitution of the Portuguese Republic determines that no one may be privileged, benefited, prejudiced, deprived of any right, or exempted from any duty on grounds of ancestry, sex, race, language, the territory of origin, religion, political convictions or ideology, education, economic status, social status, or sexual orientation. This principle was shielded by the constitutional text itself in a way that makes it almost impossible to change it, without making an absolute transition from the Constitution itself and, consequently, from the whole idea of the Democratic Rule of Law in force.
From 1984 onwards, abortion options began to be introduced in Portugal, foreseen for exceptional cases, which has progressed with an expansion of eligible cases in 1997 and, finally, with the permission of the voluntary interruption of pregnancy until 10 weeks in 2007. In 2010, Portugal recognized the legality of same-sex relationships and their civil status through marriage and, in 2015, adoption by same-sex couples was approved.
Beyond these major landmarks, Portugal is paving the way in embracing progressive laws, which is appealing to Americans and others that are tired with restrictions in their home country. This includes discussions on neutral language, a topic that is gaining more and more traction in civil society and that should soon gain ground from an official point of view.
With over 2,400 Americans living in the country as of 2021*, making the decision to move to Portugal has been a choice that goes beyond simple lifestyle changes, lower prices and an improved quality of life. Portugal, affiliated with European cultural traditions, with the humanist roots that have marked generations, has a progressive tendency, a culture of freedom and peace-making that has permanent roots and no setbacks in human rights.
Portugal is a country that walks at its own pace in the recognition of freedoms, often being at the forefront of mindset growth and cultivating a culture of openness, equality and non-discrimination — something much needed for some citizens coming from the Land of the Free .
*Data from Portuguese immigration and borders service — SEF
