The Portugal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has denied visa applications from at least 20 leading midwives and maternal health specialists from Africa and Asia, effectively blocking their participation in the world's largest midwifery conference scheduled for June 14-18, 2026 in Lisbon. The refusals have drawn international condemnation from over 100 health leaders who argue the exclusions silence the very voices most qualified to address global maternal mortality crises.
The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) triennial congress, scheduled for June 14-18, 2026 in the Portuguese capital, will convene decision-makers to discuss strategies for reducing the approximately 260,000 annual maternal deaths during pregnancy or childbirth and the 4.2 million newborns who die at birth or within their first month of life. Most of these deaths occur in the regions now underrepresented at the conference due to the visa denials.
Why This Matters
• Global health dialogue compromised: Frontline experts from countries with the highest mortality rates—Nigeria, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bangladesh, and India—cannot share evidence-based practices.
• "Colonial bias" allegations: More than 100 midwifery leaders signed a petition accusing Portugal of silencing professionals whose work is fundamental to saving lives.
• Schengen Code enforcement: The Portugal Foreign Ministry insists all short-stay visa applications are assessed with "rigorous, objective, and factual" compliance to EU regulations, suggesting documentation failures rather than discrimination.
• Late-stage rejections: Multiple applicants submitted documents over a month in advance but received denials only days before the conference, preventing alternative arrangements.
Voices Excluded from the Table
Harriet Akello, an executive with the NGO Mother Health International operating in remote Ugandan communities, was scheduled to lead a session on keeping women and babies alive in the most challenging circumstances. Instead, she spent time explaining to an embassy why she should be permitted to travel—her visa application rejected despite submission more than 30 days prior.
"Policymakers from around the world are in Lisbon, and here I am in Uganda, justifying my right to participate," Akello said. Her situation mirrors that of dozens of colleagues whose expertise centers on regions where maternal and neonatal mortality remain significantly elevated.
Kate Stringer, an advisor to the International Confederation of Midwives, framed the exclusions in stark terms: "Every two minutes, a mother dies. These visa refusals silence precisely those from whom we most need to hear." The confederation emphasized that many rejected applicants are not simply attendees but keynote speakers, academics, researchers, and leaders whose field experience directly informs global policy recommendations.
What This Means for Conference Outcomes
The absence of these specialists will fundamentally alter the quality and legitimacy of the discussions taking place at the 2026 congress. The ICM congress convenes every three years as the primary global forum for advancing midwifery practice and maternal health policy. When the professionals working in high-mortality contexts cannot contribute their findings, the resulting recommendations risk being shaped by perspectives from lower-risk environments.
The organization noted on its website that hundreds of midwives are being excluded from the gathering, undermining the event's stated mission to amplify evidence-based interventions that work in resource-constrained settings. A petition circulated bearing 108 signatures from professionals and specialists worldwide calls for urgent reconsideration of the visa denials.
Portugal's Official Response
When questioned by the Portugal news agency Lusa about the number of applications received, denied, and the justifications provided, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement emphasizing procedural compliance rather than addressing specific cases.
"All short-stay visa applications submitted at Portuguese consular posts are analyzed and processed rigorously, objectively, and factually, in full compliance with the rules and criteria set out in the Schengen Visa Code," the ministry stated. It added that the same procedure applies when EU member states legally represent Portugal in geographies where direct Portuguese consular representation does not exist.
The ministry concluded by affirming Portugal's "firm commitment to ensuring swift, uniform, and transparent processing" of visa applications. The response did not acknowledge the timing complaints—that rejections arrived too late for applicants to appeal or arrange alternatives—nor did it address allegations that qualified professionals with legitimate conference invitations were systematically excluded.
Schengen Code Framework and Its Limits
Under the Schengen Visa Code (Regulation EC 810/2009), short-stay visa applicants must demonstrate adequate financial means, clear purpose of travel, valid health insurance covering at least €30,000 in medical expenses, confirmed accommodation, and credible intent to return to their country of origin. Conference participants typically satisfy these requirements through official invitation letters, institutional sponsorship documentation, and detailed itineraries.
Additional research indicates some rejections cited "inadequate bank statements and unreliable purpose of travel" as justifications, despite applicants holding formal invitations from the ICM. Critics argue these standards are applied inconsistently, with professionals from African and Asian nations facing higher evidentiary burdens than counterparts from wealthier regions.
Portugal and other Schengen states maintain discretionary authority to refuse visas based on security concerns, public order considerations, or doubts about the applicant's intent. In the first half of 2025, over 1,200 foreign nationals were denied entry to Portugal, including 314 detentions for document fraud and 133 for other reasons, demonstrating active enforcement of border controls.
Broader Implications for Global Health Collaboration
The controversy highlights systemic tensions between national security protocols and the imperatives of international scientific exchange. When health professionals from the Global South cannot access conferences in Europe, the resulting knowledge gaps perpetuate inequalities in maternal and child health outcomes.
The International Confederation of Midwives argues that excluding voices from high-mortality regions creates limited perspectives in policy discussions, where recommendations risk reflecting the experiences of countries that have already achieved low maternal death rates, rather than addressing the urgent realities of nations still struggling with preventable fatalities.
As the Lisbon congress approaches in June 2026, organizers face the challenge of conducting meaningful discussions on global maternal health without the participation of many professionals whose daily work confronts the crisis most directly. Whether Portugal's Foreign Ministry will revisit any of the rejected applications remains unclear, though the petition campaign suggests mounting international pressure for reconsideration.
The outcome may influence how future host nations balance security protocols with the inclusive participation essential to credible global health dialogue.
