The SDP wants to hear from the Home Secretary on “worrying situations that jeopardize border control and national security”, just over a month after the closure of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF).
In an inquiry published today, the Social Democrats say that “several news reports have been released condemning alarming situations that jeopardize border controls and national security”, a month after the “dispersal of powers” of the SEF by various security forces. and services, as well as the creation of two new organizations: the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) and the Coordination Unit for Borders and Foreigners (UCFE).
In particular, PSD refers to news published on Friday by the weekly Expresso, which quotes an internal GNR document according to which “foreign nationals arriving in Portugal with an irregular status are not detained, but only given a note to present at the newly created AIMA.” on the agreed date” if they are detected on weekends, holidays and weekdays after 20:00 and before 8:00 the next morning.
“Lack of personnel and organization, lack of oversight of migrant entry control, failures in the issuance of passports and the transfer of information between different police forces are not just “difficulties of the transition period,” says SDP.
The party said the news “cannot be ignored and must be the subject of an urgent explanation from those responsible for the government, in this case the Minister of the Interior,” José Luis Carneiro, demanding an urgent hearing before the Constitutional Affairs Committee. , Rights, freedoms and guarantees.
On October 29, the process of liquidating the SEF took place; the powers of this security service were transferred to seven organizations.
Police powers have been transferred to the PSP, GNR and the Judicial Police, while responsibilities for administrative matters relating to foreign nationals are now entrusted to the new AIMA and the Institute of Registration and Notary (IRN).
As part of this process, a new configuration of Portugal’s border control system also emerged: a unit for the coordination of borders and foreigners was created, operating under the direction of the Secretary General of the Internal Security System.
AIMA, which inherited some 300,000 pending immigration legalization processes from the SEF, also assumed the authority of the High Commissioner for Migration in matters of the reception and integration of immigrants.
The restructuring of the SEF was decided by the previous PS 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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