Montenegro says ‘much confusion’ over new agency to replace SEF

The PSD President warned this Monday of “great confusion” about the new Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA), which “does not inspire confidence and security”, while these two factors “are of great importance”.

Luis Montenegro called the process of liquidating the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) and creating a new agency “a big mess”, which should start work on the 29th, but which “still has neither a charter nor a headquarters.”

The PSD Collegium announced this Monday that it is demanding an explanation at a hearing in the Assembly of the Republic from the Deputy Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes, who oversees the new agency.

“There is a lot of confusion that does not inspire confidence and security at a time when these two factors are of great importance, naturally from a social point of view,” said Luis Montenegro, who spoke in Vila Real, on the first of three days dedicated to the district as part of the “Feel Portugal” initiative.

For the Social Democratic leader, “the dismantling of the SEF was a big mess,” primarily because “no one understands what advantages this process has, no one understands how the human resources that were distributed between different structures will interact.”

“A new AIMA structure has been created, it still has no headquarters or charter, at a time when there is a lot of pressure because the SEF is being dismantled, there is confusion in the sector, there are intolerable delays in processing the various steps that necessary for the reception and integration of immigrants,” he noted.

And he continued: “We are going through a particularly sensitive time when security is higher due to the conflict that has been provoked in the Middle East, and therefore, from this point of view, the government is again making decisions in disarray. Before you think about them, first make a decision, and then think and implement.”

The SDP leader also pointed to “another confusion” from an organic point of view.

“The Minister for Parliamentary Affairs is responsible for this area, but most of the operations related to border control are naturally assigned to the Ministry of Internal Affairs,” he explained.

This Monday, Luis Montenegro began a three-day visit to the Vila Real area as part of the “Sentir Portugal” program, which aims to get to know the local reality.

In Mesão Frio he contacted the community and visited a cooperative winery, then traveled by train to Peso da Regua, and in Vila Real he visited the University of Tras os Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD).

The liquidation process of the SEF is scheduled for October 29, and the powers of this security service will be transferred to seven organizations.

Police powers will be transferred to the PSP, GNR and the Judicial Police, while responsibilities for administrative matters relating to foreign nationals will be transferred to the new AIMA and the Institute of Registration and Notary Public (IRN).

Luse MAI said that 590 general career and IT staff will be transferred from SEF to AIMA, while 75 general career staff will be transferred to IRN.

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.

As part of this process, a new configuration of the Portuguese border control system will also be created, with the creation of a Coordination Unit for Borders and Foreigners, which will operate under the direction of the Secretary General of the Internal Security System.

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.