The Judicial Police will immediately include 390 inspectors from the Service for Foreigners and Borders (SEF), taking into account that 404 will be temporarily seconded to the PSP and GNR to control air and sea borders.
In a response sent to Lusa on the future of GEF staff after its closure at 00:00 on the 29th, the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAI) says that 789 elements from the inspection and supervisory career will be transferred to PJ and five from the security career.
The MAI adds that of the 789 inspectors stationed in the joint venture, 404 will be “on a temporary functional assignment in the security forces,” 324 of which are in the PSP and 80 in the PPR.
The SEF transition regime establishes that inspectors will be transferred to the judicial police and non-police staff to the new Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) and the Institute of Registration and Notary (IRN), with a “functional transition regime” in place. “, which allows SEF inspectors to perform duties in the State People’s Republic and PSP at air and sea border posts for up to two years.
The SEF has 1,708 employees, 1,043 of whom are inspectors (including employees of international organizations and agencies on unpaid leave or in offices) and the rest are non-police officers (665).
AIMA also indicates that 590 General Careers and IT Careers employees will be transferred to AIMA and 75 General Careers employees will be transferred to IRN.
According to the MAI, on the 28th, 68 inspectors will still work (identical to pre-retirement ones).
The powers of the SEF will be transferred to seven bodies, with the police moving to the PSP, GNR and PJ, and the functions of administrative matters related to foreign nationals will be transferred to the IRN and a new agency chaired by Luis Gus Pinheiro, which will begin work on the 29th.
As part of this process, there is also a new configuration of the Portuguese border control system with the creation of a Group for the Coordination of Borders and Foreigners, which will operate under the leadership of the Secretary General of the Internal Security System and is already known. as a “mini-SEF” with “superpowers”.
This unit, which will manage the SEF police database, will be headed by a general coordinator, whose name is not yet known, and will consist of SEF, PSP and GNR personnel.
When asked how many inspectors will join this unit, the MAI responded that this number will be determined “at a later stage.”
Lusa has asked several questions about this new unit to the Secretary General of the Internal Security System, Paulo Viseu Pinheiro, but has not yet received any response.
SEF inspectors at the top of their careers may also be transferred to the Tax Authority (IA), but the MAI says the number of items that will be placed in the AT will be determined “at a later stage.”
Regarding the anti-trafficking unit that currently exists within the SEF, the MAI states that specialists assigned to this unit will be housed in the joint venture, where they will “continue to work in this area within an appropriate organic structure.”
Regarding the Directorate of Refugees and Asylum SEF, the Ministry, headed by José Luis Carneiro, indicates that the inspectors assigned to this unit will be placed in the joint venture and that AIMA will maintain a special department dedicated to international protection issues, namely the auxiliary department for issues of asylum and protection. which will be “equipped with the necessary human and material resources to guarantee the regular functioning of services.”
GNR will be responsible for monitoring, verification and control of maritime and land borders, including cruise terminals. The PSP will be responsible for the monitoring, verification and control of airport borders, as well as managing temporary accommodation centers integrated into the airports, while the PJ will have reserved competence in the investigation of cases of illegal immigration and human trafficking.
AIMA, which will inherit approximately 300,000 pending immigration legalization processes from SEF, will also retain the powers of the High Commissioner for Migration in relation to issues of reception and integration of immigrants.
Lusa also asked the MAI what would happen to the SEF facilities that exist in the country, and replied that they would be transferred to services that would take over their responsibilities.
Regarding the SEF headquarters in Porto Salvo, Oeiras, MAI did not respond.
The restructuring of the SEF was decided by the previous government and approved by the Assembly of the Republic in November 2021, but was delayed twice.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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