'I never expected this much hate': migrants in fear as Portugal tells thousands to leave

Mosan Hassan, 42, moved to Portugal a year ago, convinced by his family to leave Pakistan. In that year he has filed for his legal residency, found work in agriculture, and paid his taxes. However, he's still undocumented and living in fear.

"We are also humans. We follow the rules, pay our taxes and tickets. But people hit us with hate. I never expected this much hate, never thought there was such a large community against immigrants [in Portugal]", Hassan tells CGTN. "If I had another option to go to another country, I would go."

Hassan's application has been pending well beyond the official 90-day deadline. He is one of nearly half a million immigrants now stuck in legal limbo in Portugal. 

This week, Portugal's center-right coalition government re-took office after a government collapse a year into its first attempt.

In his first news conference back in office the Minister for Cabinet Affairs announced on Monday more than 30,000 migrants have been told to leave the country after their residency requests were denied. 

Minister António Leitão Amaro also told reporters that of the total 446,000 pending immigration cases, half will be rejected. 

In just a decade, Portugal's foreign population has quadrupled, now accounting for 14 percent of the total population. The surge overwhelmed immigration services, leading to a massive backlog of applications. Many have waited years for a response.

The government accuses the previous socialist administration of "irresponsible" open-door immigration policies that have led to chaos. 

"In just a few years, an issue was created that now the country will face for decades", Amaro said, adding that the current government is just trying to restore order.

"Those who follow the rules in Portugal have the duty to integrate, but also the right to be treated well and in a timely manner. Just as those who do not follow the rules must face consequences, which is why half of the 446,000 pending cases have been rejected", he said.

But critics say the latest policies pander to the rising far-right which has placed immigration at the center of its inflammatory rhetoric. 

This rhetoric has been given as an explanation by some for the rise in hate crimes culminating in violent clashes earlier this year. 

For years the far-right party CHEGA blamed migrants for the current housing crisis and for overwhelming public health services. Their narrative resonated with hundreds of thousands of Portuguese who voted for CHEGA in the May 18 general elections, and pushed the party to become the second-biggest force in parliament.

"They always use immigrants as the scape coat for the failure of public policies", Timóteo Macedo, President of the migrant-rights organization Solidariedade Imigrante told CGTN.

"But these are policies pushing people to death. A lot of migrants are telling us they'll commit suicide. So these policies are pushing migrants to desperate measures", he said.

For years, Portugal was seen as one of Europe's most welcoming countries. Now, as the government overturns its immigration policies, the future remains uncertain for hundreds of thousands of people who once saw it as a safe haven.