Report on Citizenship Law: Portugal Table 1: Number of quasi-citizens in Portugal 1985-2018 Year Total foreigners residents 1985 of Cape Verde Brazil Total of quasicitizens Quasi-citizens in % total 79,594 24,959 6,804 31,763 40% 1990 107,767 28,796 11,413 40,209 37% 1995 168,316 38,746 19,901 58,647 35% 2000 207,607 47,216 22,411 69,627 34% 2003 250,697 53,858 26,561 80,419 32% 2007 435,736 63,925 66,354 130,279 30% 2008 440,277 51,353 106,961 158,314 36% 2009 454,191 48,845 116,220 165,065 36% 2010 445.262 43.979 119.363 163.342 37% 2011 436.822 43.920 111.445 155.365 36% 2012 417.042 42.857 105.622 148.479 36% 2013 401.320 42.401 92.120 134.521 34% 2014 395.195 40.912 87.493 128.405 32% 2015 388.731 38.674 82.590 121.264 31% 2016 397.731 36.578 81.251 117.829 30% 2017 421.711 34.986 85.426 120.412 29% 2018 480.300 34.663 105.423 140.086 29% Source: ABS, Statistics Report, several years 3.3. Procedural and institutional arrangements The legislative process The legislation for the acquisition, loss and reacquisition of Portuguese citizenship belongs to the parliament’s exclusive competence and takes the form of an organic law (art. 166(2) of the Constitution). Organic laws are general parliamentary laws that, as is the case for other laws, require a general vote, a vote on each individual article, and a final overall vote, as well as promulgation by the President of the Republic in order to enter them into force. They are laws of increased importance (art. 112(3) of the Constitution) and the articles must be voted on individually in the plenary (not the committee) stage. The final vote must be passed by an overall majority of the sitting members of parliament (and not just by those who are in the chamber at the time of the vote) (Canotilho 2003: 750). Members of parliamentary groups or the government can submit proposals or bills on citizenship law. RSCAS/GLOBALCIT-CR 2020/1 - © 2020 Author 31