Portugal to expel 18,000 foreigners. Its PM says it’s not about the election or Trump [Video]

Portugal’s caretaker government plans to expel some 18,000 foreigners living in the country without authorization, a minister said on Saturday in the buildup to a national election.

Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro said Saturday that the centre-right government will issue approximately 18,000 notifications to people in the country illegally to leave. The minister said officials will begin next week by asking some 4,500 foreigners to leave voluntarily within 20 days.

According to the Portugal Resident news website, immigrants will start receiving the first batch of notifications today. Citing reports, the site adds that, if they do not comply, “they will be subject to an expulsion process.”

On Monday, news website The Portugal News reported that The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) had begun the process.