Portugal news - Major changes were just announced in Portugal’s immigration policy – What are they?
Portugal just announced the creation of a new immigration agency that will replace the SEF, the Portuguese Agency for Minorities, Migration and Asylum. The new body will be responsible for the acceptance of immigrants and will effectively be separate from security functions.
Portugal is creating this new agency in order to represent “a shift towards a worldview that is more humanistic, supportive and flexible.”
Portugal’s new immigration agency will be fully operational in 6 months and the officers of the now defunct SEF will be transferred to the new agency. SEF officers from the security department will be transferred to the Judiciary Police.
This new separation between the welcome and police functions is meant to respond to challenges faced by migrants. The new agency will be responsible for the entry and welcome of migrants, and for providing them with all the information required for better integration. Portugal's new immigration agency will provide documentation, job offers, language-learning courses as well as access to government services.