Lisbon, 30 October: Portugal has disbanded the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) and transferred all matters relating to foreign documents to the newly created Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA).
According to an official statement on Sunday, AIMA “plans to set up a mega-operation to resolve pending cases”, with “increased security in the issuing of documents” and “the creation of a permanent audit team for internal procedures and the fight and prevention of fraud”.
The new model also aims to combat racism and integrate ethnic groups, the statement said.
The Portuguese Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes, said that AIMA would demonstrate a “new paradigm” in the reception and treatment of immigrants seeking to enter Portugal.
With a budget of 81 million euros ($85.86 million), the new agency has 740 employees and plans to hire 190 new staff.
According to the government, nearly 347,000 pending immigration cases and about 340,000 visa renewals will have to be decided by the end of the year. Statistics show that more than one million immigrants live in Portugal, making up around 10 per cent of the country’s population.
