CPLP Mobility Accord Undermined by Member States, Analysts Say

The Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) Mobility Agreement, adopted on July 17, 2021, during the XIII Conference of Heads of State and Government in Luanda, Angola, has been undermined by its own member states, according to various analysts. The agreement aimed to facilitate movement among the nine member nations: Angola, Brazil, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Timor-Leste.

Portuguese analyst Fernando Jorge Cardoso, who previously considered the agreement the CPLP's greatest achievement, noted that Portugal's recent foreign resident law, enacted in July of the previous year, requires Lusophone citizens to obtain a work or residence visa in their home country before seeking authorization to reside in Portugal. Cardoso attributed this shift to a change in governing party and prevailing international political currents, also citing Portugal's obligations within the Schengen Area as a limiting factor, though he stressed the agreement itself was not eliminated.

Angolan political scientist Almeida Henriques urged Portugal to be more visionary regarding mobility, stating that current restrictions are counterproductive and demotivating for CPLP citizens. Liberato Moniz, president of Lusíada University in São Tomé and Príncipe, lamented that free circulation is rarely applied within the Lusophone bloc and is instead invoked primarily for labor needs, particularly in Portugal. Cabo Verdean analyst Redy Lima views the issue as structural, describing visa facilitation as a neo-colonial tactic where Portugal gains labor while other citizens face difficulties visiting family or vacationing. Lima, a skeptic of the CPLP, believes the organization has failed, with the mobility agreement reflecting unequal state relations.

Mozambican university professor Elísio Macamo in Switzerland reported no personal impact from the mobility agreement, finding it disappointing and indicative of the CPLP's limitations, where many initiatives falter. He also noted that Portugal's EU membership and Brazil's Mercosur affiliation restrict their mobility options. Adriano de Freixo, a Brazilian analyst of Portuguese descent, stated the mobility issue has had no impact, citing personal accounts of longer queues for CPLP citizens at Portuguese airports compared to other nationalities.

Looking ahead, Redy Lima advocates for the CPLP to prioritize and consolidate mobility efforts in the next decade, arguing that overcoming this obstacle would significantly strengthen the organization and create new opportunities. Almeida Henriques called for greater liberalization of mobility within the CPLP space.