Emigration and policies: analysis of electoral programmes and legislative initiatives, 2011 to 2019

This article aims to understand the differences in the Portuguese State's behaviour towards its residents abroad, in different migratory and economic contexts, by analyzing the electoral programs presented in the 2011 and 2015 legislative elections, and the legislative initiatives presented in the XII and XIII legislative periods. The most important conclusions were that the different migratory contexts substantially influence the political action of the state, whereas the different economic contexts seem to influence emigration more than the mechanisms used by the state to connect with its communities abroad.