Portuguese political immigration to Luxembourg before 25 April 1974

Between 1969 and 1971, 350,000 Portuguese arrived in France. Over 90% were illegal immigrants. In addition to traditional families, often from rural areas, there were families from urban areas with sons who refused to be drafted into the army and take part in the colonial war. In 1970, some 17,234 Portuguese joined France at the age of military service (draft evaders, draft resisters and deserters). Between 1970 and 1972, the percentage of draft dodgers was around 20% of the total number of candidates for the army: some 50,000 young people turned their backs on military service. So-called ‘political’ emigration began, and Antonio Paiva, one of them, landed in Paris in September 1970 before moving to Luxembourg at the end of 1971.

This talk will be in French.