In a bid to remove irregular citizens from the country, Portugal’s government has approved the implementation of the National Unit for Foreigners within the Public Security Police (PSP).
Introducing the new decision, the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, said among the most tragic mistakes made by the previous government in terms of migration was the way in which the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) was abolished, Schengen.News reports.
There was a void in the return, removal of illegal citizens, the lack of supervision and a lot of entry control work. We had promised and we have implemented the creation of the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders in the PSP.
Amaro said the PSP will be responsible for controlling air borders, monitoring immigration as well as for the removal and return of citizens in an irregular situation, which, according to him, was simply not working.
In addition, according to a report from Portugal News, the minister announced the approval of a new regime for the return and removal of citizens in an irregular situation in the country.
The two measures are part of a draft law on border controls approved by the government of Portugal that will be sent to the Assembly of the Republic.
This new PSP unit was announced by the government back in June when the Action Plan for Migration was introduced.
When the Foreigners and Borders Service was abolished on October 29, last year, the air, port security and border control unit was created within the PSP, responsible for controlling entry and exit of people into and out of the country by air and for security at airports.
Portugal Closed Path to Legal Status for Undocumented Migrants in June
In June this year, authorities in Portugal decided to end the path to legal status for internationals who reached the country irregularly.
After being known as one of the most welcoming countries in the bloc in terms of migrants, Portugal, earlier this year, decided to tighten its immigration rules.
Since 2007, Portugal has permitted people with valid visas to work anywhere in Europe to be regularised. In addition, back in 2018, the former socialist government extended this rule to those entering without a visa. However, the government has now ended the process.
In a previous report from the Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), the number of non-European immigrants doubled in the past five years.