Migration and Asylum: FAQs

• 1. What is the AIMA?

• 2. What will the AIMA do, specifically?

• 3. What happens with the cases pending with SEF?

• 4. Which body is charged with the international protection and asylum cases?

• 5. To whom will the requests to grant equality of rights duties status be sent?

• 6. Are the AIMA’s powers strictly related to foreign citizens entering or remaining on national soil?

• 7. Will the AIMA take over all the tasks that fell under the High Commission for Migration?

• 8. Are there other bodies that will take on new powers?

• 9. How can I renew my residence permit with the IRN?

• 10. Where is the new Agency located?

• 11. Will it be possible to access the AIMA services online?

• 12. How many staff does the Agency employ?

• 13. What is the Agency’s budget?

• 14. How will the SEF’s law enforcement powers be upheld?

• 15. Who will handle illegal immigration, aiding illegal immigration or human trafficking cases?

• 16. Who will be responsible for and run the spaces akin to temporary housing facilities at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports?

• 17. Have PSP and GNR been trained in border checks?

• 18. To where will the SEF employees be transferred?

• 19. Who will coordinate the various bodies?

The new Integration, Migration and Asylum Agency

1. What is the AIMA?

It is the new Integration, Migration and Asylum Agency that became operational on Sunday 29 October. The AIMA follows on from a restructuring of the Portuguese border control system, which will now be based on separating law enforcement from administrative tasks pertaining to migration and asylum, which until then were under the Borders and Immigration Service (SEF).

2. What will the AIMA do, specifically?

Among other tasks, AIMA is charged with controlling the entry and stay of foreign citizens on Portuguese soil, grant stay extensions, residence permits, renew residence permits, residence cards, and permanent residence cards for relatives of EU citizens who are nationals of a third country, permanent residence certificate for EU citizens, and residence permits for British citizens under Brexit.

AIMA will also be charged with running the solidarity facilities and programmes and is tasked with implementing the resettlement and reinstalling of refugees taken in.

3. What happens with the cases pending with SEF?

The AIMA is beginning its operations with a total sum of 347 thousand cases pending. One of the Agency’s top priorities is to substantially decrease this number, focusing especially on cases relating to family uniting. With this aim, a mega operation to recover pending cases will be launched in the first quarter of next year, which will count on the engagement of the municipalities and local centres for assisting migrant integration. This inspiration will draw inspiration from the organizational model used for the covid-19 vaccination.

4. Which body is charged with the international protection and asylum cases?

This will also fall under the AIMA0s responsibility. In 2024, a national multi-disciplinary centre will be set up to manage the international protection cases and monitor the refugees and asylum applicants, from the moment they apply or arrive in Portugal until they are fully integrated.

5. To whom will the requests to grant equality of rights and duties status be sent?

The requests for granting equal rights and duties and recognising political rights are set to the AIMA central services or its regional branches, and the agency will initiate the case and draft a justified proposal. Granting the status of equal rights and duties and the capacity to enjoy political rights falls under the member of Government in charge of the area of migration.

6. Are the AIMA’s powers strictly related to foreign citizens entering and remaining on national soil?

No. The new agency will also include the tasks and human resources that were carried out by the High Commission for Migration. This means the agency will also operate in fighting racism and discrimination, the integration of ethnical groups, particularly the gipsy communities, and promoting intercultural and inter-religious dialogue, which will enable new synergies and gains in efficiency in these matters, retaining the talent and experience acquired by the High Commission, which is now merged with the AIMA.

7. Will the AIMA take over all the tasks that fell under the High Commission for Migration?

It will take over most, but not all. The tasks on the social inclusion programmes for children and youths from underprivileged backgrounds will be transferred over to the Portuguese Sports and Youth Institute.

8. Are there other bodies that will take on new powers?

The Registries and Notaries Institute (IRN) is now the body charged with granting and issuing the passports for foreign citizens, combining all the scales of the Portuguese Electronic Passport: standard, special, temporary passports, and passports for foreign citizens. The IRN services will now also include attending to foreign citizens to renew their Residence Permit (temporary and permanent).

9. How can I renew my residence permit with the IRN?

The requests to renew temporary and permanent residence permits (RAR) can be made at the IRN desks (except for specific cases of renewal for victims of human trafficking and for investment, which are handled by the AIMA). In this first stage, the attendance will be exclusively through prior appointment scheduling.

The RAR online scheduling is available via the SIG appointment website on siga.marcacaodeatendimento.pt and the mobile app sigaApp.

The AIMA will begin operations with 34 assistance counters throughout the country and will open at least 10 new ones within one year. The agency will be headquartered in Lisbon, on Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar.

11. Will it be possible to access the AIMA services online?

The AIMA website will be up by the end of the year to handle older residents’ family uniting requests, waiving the need for telephone booking. In 2024, the website will be open to requests for issuing and renewing residence permits.

12. How many staff does the Agency employ?

The AIMA began operating with around 740 employees throughout the country. This number will be increased by 190 more employees joining.

13. What is the Agency’s budget?

The AIMA will begin operating with an overall budget of 81 million euros, more than 95% of which is funded via revenue or European funds.

These powers will be transferred to the PSP, GNR, and PJ (Criminal Police). Land and sea border checks will fall on the GNR, whereas air border control will be handled by the PSP.

15. Who will handle illegal immigration, aiding illegal immigration, or human trafficking cases?

These matters will be handled by the Criminal Police.

16. Who will be responsible for and run the spaces akin to temporary housing facilities at Lisbon, Porto, and Faro airports?

The PSP will run these facilities.

17. Have the PSP and GNR been trained in border checks?

Yes, around 400 law enforcement officers have been trained to carry out these new tasks, as well as 233 GNR military.

18. To where will the SEF employees be transferred?

The employees have been transferred to the AIMA (590), the IRN (75), PJ (794), PSP (324, in temporary work secondment), GNR (80, in temporary work secondment) and the Tax Authorities (to be defined at a later stage). The 789 staff in the SEF Inspection and Supervision Career have been transferred to PJ, as well as five staff from the Security Guard career.

19. Who will coordinate the various bodies?

This will fall on the new Borders and Immigration Coordination Unit (UCFE), made up of officers from the Guarda Nacional Republicana and Polícia de Segurança Pública, which will operate under the Internal Security System. The UCFE is responsible for coordinating the operations of the law enforcement and security agencies among themselves and between these and the IRN and the AIMA. This structure will be responsible for the police nature databases, whereas the administrative databases will fall under the AIMA.