ABSTRACT
In order to understand the movements and actions of 'foreign immigrants' it is necessary to take into account the involvement of governments on the ground, as they are the main designer of the category 'foreign immigrant'. Common immigration policies in Western Europe have been in existence for some years. In Spain the administrative bodies in charge of international immigration policy are established at a 'central level'. In Spain, the foreigners' legislation can be divided into three main sets of norms: the Constitution, the Foreigners' Law, and its implementation rules. In February 1994, the Portuguese Foreign Affairs Ministry was reorganised in order to give priority to immigration issues over emigration issues. Although Lisbon is not part of any region with competencies to implement policies, there are still two main governmental levels to take into account if the aim is to observe 'foreign immigration' policies in Lisbon: the Portuguese government level and the Lisbon city government level.
