Portugal to Replace Immigration and Border Service (SEF) With New Agency
The new agency, which will be called the Agency for Minorities, Migration and Asylum (APMMA), is expected to become fully operational in the next six months, AtoZSerwisPlus.pt reports.
The decision has been revealed by the Ministers of Internal Administration, José Luís Carneiro, and Deputy and Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes, during a press conference following the Council of Ministers, in Algés, Oeiras, on April 6.
Commenting on the new agency, Minister Mendes said that it will “respond to the challenges of integrating migrants in Portugal. On the one hand, their admission, on the other hand, their reception, offering the necessary information for their integration, their documents, job offers, language learning, use of public services, everything that should be included in the life of a citizen foreigner.”
This means that while the APMMA will soon be the sole agency that will deal with the integration of migrants in the country, security at the country’s land and sea borders will become the responsibility of the Republican National Guard (GNR), whereas air borders will be under the watch of the Police of Public Security (PSP).
The APMMA, however, will also be responsible for the migration and asylum policies at a European level, through its unit for border and foreigners’ coordination, which will share information from different services to ensure the regulation and security of migration in the EU.
According to Minister Carneiro, the integration of border surveillance into the security forces will guarantee that Portugal will do its share in the protection of the EU’s and Schengen Area’s freedom, security, and justice.
Up until now, the mission of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) has been to enforce control of people at borders, of foreigners in national territory, and prevent and combat crime related to illegal immigration and human trafficking.
The agency has also been responsible for managing foreigners’ travel and identification documents and processing asylum application processes.
As the same will now be extinct, its workers will be integrated into three different institutions: the new Agency for Minorities, Migrations, and Asylum, Judiciary Police (PJ), and the Institute of Registries and Notary (IRN).
The extinction of SEF and the creation of a new agency is just one of the recent measures that the Portuguese government has taken regarding migration. Just recently, Portugal has put to an end its famous Golden Visa, which has sparked lots of criticism.
