People who obtain CPLP (Community of Portuguese-Speaking Countries) residence permits can now travel to other European countries, the Portuguese government has announced.

With this new measure, Portugal intends to eliminate the discrimination suffered by Portuguese-speaking citizens in Portugal. This measure will put an end to what the government considers to be the treatment of "second-class citizens", said the Minister for the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro at the press conference held after the Council of Ministers.

Previous CPLP visas issued to Portuguese-speaking citizens under the community's mobility agreement did not allow them to travel to other European countries. As a result, the European Union opened an infringement procedure against Portugal.

"CPLP citizens have, under Portuguese law, a more favorable regime for entry and obtaining a residence permit. Part of this regime was, in practice, closed, it was announced, it was described on the website, but it didn't work," said the Minister for the Presidency.

The new measure must now be approved by Parliament. The Minister also mentioned a second change.

Leitão Amaro said that the other change is to activate a channel on the platform of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), where CPLP citizens who enter Portugal "on a regular basis can obtain a residence permit".