Immigration Doubles in Four Years

In Search of Hope – by Sam Gannon

Seconded to the parish of Tililngdon, the Reverend Dolores has been presented with a challenge.

She’s living in an antiquated house and she’s cold. Furthermore, her new Bishop, Bishop Alice does not approve of ‘showgirls in dog collars.’

Determined to prove the Bishop wrong, she sets about warming her house – who cares if it smells of horse! There is the crochet club, jumble sale, and soup run to organise. And this year, the church bells will ring, no matter what threats are made. Even more so, the newly formed choir will spread a little joy this Christmas, even though they can’t sing – yet! And with a little help from Phil, her bassist, this year could be full of magic.

However, she has a fight on her hands as the townies out in Knob Hill – she must stop calling it that, are trying to stop her from ringing her bells. When Krystal with a K decides to do some volunteer work, Dolores sets out to see just how committed she really is.

Up to her ears in granny squares and squawking choristers, Dolores is revving up for Christmas, yet a deeper darker secret is beginning to emerge!

A secret that could blow the whole parish apart and put Dolores in danger.

(available from Amazon)

The foreign population living in Madeira continued to grow in 2025, reaching a record 19,371 residents and accounting for 7.3% of the Region’s total population.

Figures released on Wednesday by the Regional Directorate of Statistics of Madeira (DREM) show that the number of foreign residents has more than doubled over the past four years, highlighting the increasingly important role immigration is playing in the Region’s population growth.

According to DREM’s Resident Population Estimates, the Autonomous Region of Madeira had a total population of 266,130 on the 31st of December 2025. Of these, 19,371 were foreign nationals, the highest figure recorded since comparable statistics began in 2021.

Compared with 2024, the number of foreign residents increased by 1,779, a 10.1% rise. In contrast, the Portuguese population fell slightly by 349 residents, declining from 247,108 to 246,759.

DREM said the figures confirm the growing importance of migration in sustaining Madeira’s population, helping to offset the Region’s negative natural population change while strengthening its working-age population.

Between 2021 and 2025, the number of foreign residents rose from 7,423 to 19,371, an increase of 11,948, representing a growth of 161%. During the same period, the proportion of foreign residents in the total population increased from 2.9% to 7.3%.

Despite the strong growth, Madeira continues to have one of the lowest proportions of foreign residents in Portugal.

In 2025, it ranked as the second NUTS II region with the lowest percentage of foreign residents, behind only the Azores, where foreigners accounted for 3.8% of the population. At the other end of the scale were the Algarve, with 27.9%, and Greater Lisbon, with 22.6%.

The foreign population in Madeira comprised 11,070 men and 8,301 women, representing 57.1% and 42.9% respectively, indicating a clear male majority.

Funchal remained home to more than half of all foreign residents in the Region. In 2025, the municipality recorded 10,193 foreign citizens, accounting for 52.6% of Madeira’s foreign population. This is followed by Santa Cruz with 2,291 foreign residents, Calheta with 1,430, Machico with 1,170, and Câmara de Lobos with 1,090.

Although Funchal has the largest number of foreign residents, Porto Santo has the highest proportion relative to its local population.

In 2025, foreign residents represented 13.6% of Porto Santo’s population. Calheta followed with 12.3%, Funchal with 9%, and Ponta do Sol with 7.8%.

Since 2021, Funchal has seen the largest increase in foreign residents, gaining an additional 6,300 people. Santa Cruz followed with an increase of 1,236, Machico with 888, Câmara de Lobos with 763, and Porto Santo with 621. In percentage terms, Santana and Machico experienced the fastest growth, with their foreign populations more than quadrupling over the four years.

The Venezuelan community remained the largest foreign nationality in Madeira, with 3,004 residents, representing 15.5% of the Region’s foreign population.

They were followed by Brazilian citizens (1,963), Nepalese (1,534), Germans (1,354), and British nationals (1,192).

Venezuelans also made the largest contribution to the growth in Madeira’s foreign population between 2021 and 2025, followed by citizens from Nepal, Brazil, Germany, and Ukraine.

DREM’s data also highlight the increasing diversity of Madeira’s foreign communities. Alongside the traditionally larger populations from Brazil, the United Kingdom, and Germany, there has been significant growth in residents from Asian countries, particularly Nepal, Bangladesh, and India, as well as from several African nations, including São Tomé and Príncipe, Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau, and Cape Verde.

Samantha Gannon

info at madeira-weekly.com