Portugal will continue refusing new asylum seekers until its dispute with EU authorities over refugee allocation is resolved, despite already facing an €8.44 million fine. The government argues that updated immigration figures were not considered in EU redistribution decisions. Meanwhile, authorities are prioritizing skilled migrants and investors, although key regulations remain pending. A large-scale effort to process backlogged immigration cases has significantly expanded the recorded migrant population and improved administrative capacity. Officials say reforms have restored order to a previously chaotic system and improved oversight mechanisms across immigration management. Material taken from https://www.dn.pt