A “packed” information session on the Government’s Pathways to Status proposals was held at the Vasco da Gama Club on Thursday night.

Trevor Moniz, the Attorney-General, congratulated the club, telling Parliament it was “very sad that the club saw it necessary to have some sort of police presence for a public meeting”.

Mr Moniz said that tensions in the community with calls for civil disobedience had “put people in fear”, but that 150 to 200 people had turned out for the forum. As well as giving a presentation on the legislation, the Attorney-General said questions had been taken from a majority Portuguese crowd that included a healthy showing of other nationalities.