The CHEGA parliamentary group in the Assembly of the Republic has accused Luís Montenegro's government of promoting new discrimination against students from the autonomous regions.
The party has submitted a bill to parliament recommending the adaptation of the new higher education social action regime to the specificities of Madeira and the Azores. According to Francisco Gomes, a CHEGA deputy elected by Madeira, the new regime considers only those residing more than 50 kilometers in a straight line from the educational institution as displaced students.
CHEGA argues that this criterion ignores the insular reality and could exclude many students from Madeira and the Azores from essential support. The initiative recommends that the executive review the regime, creating specific criteria for the autonomous regions that ensure insularity does not become a factor of discrimination.
