Portugal's parliament approved a new law on Thursday which gives a large number of people born on

Portuguese soil citizenship, a project presented by the Socialist Party which has an absolute majority in the country's National Assembly.

Pedro Silva Pereira, the presidency minister, told local media that the new law was "an important step towards ending exclusion."

Third generation immigrants born on Portuguese soil will now have a right to Portuguese citizenship if either of their parents was born in Portugal, and second generation immigrants born in the country will have the right if one of their parents has lived in Portugal legally for more than five years.

Thursday's vote puts into effect a law first approved by the government last July.

"The new law will make being born in Portuguese territory relevant, and open the door to people born in Portugal, and allow them well integrated into Portuguese society, who have been barred from becoming citizens for unjustifiable reasons," the minister said.

Source: Xinhua