Portugal's Immigration Agency Struggles: Promises of Legal Assistance Fall Short

Issues in Lawyer Recruitment by AIMA

The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) has entered into an agreement with the Order of Lawyers of Portugal to expedite the processing of approximately 450,000 residency requests from immigrants that have been stalled for years. The objective was to have lawyers evaluate documents and approve residency applications. However, the reality has been disappointing, with reports of insufficient recruitment and inadequate training of lawyers and solicitors.

Advocate Catarina Zuccaro expressed concern that the expected structure to resolve AIMA's backlog is not functioning as planned. While the collection of biometric data is operational, the processing of documents remains at a standstill, leading to numerous complaints from immigrants who have not received their residency cards.

Advocate Tatiana Kazan criticized AIMA for failing to mobilize the necessary professionals in a timely manner, which has hindered proper training and service delivery. She noted that even those professionals called upon have not been adequately briefed on their responsibilities, further delaying the resolution of residency applications.

Technological Failures

Both Catarina and Tatiana highlighted that AIMA is also grappling with serious IT system issues. Tatiana compared the situation to a system bug, as many frontline staff are disheartened by the ongoing challenges. Consequently, an increasing number of immigrants are resorting to legal action to secure their residency cards.

According to the agreement, each lawyer can handle between 20 to 200 cases per month, earning €7.50 per application. Despite the challenges, AIMA has begun sending out payment requests for residency application fees, indicating a potential acceleration in processing at the service centers, even as they struggle with operational issues.

Mass Charges

Catarina pointed out that despite the obstacles in processing applications, AIMA is pushing forward with mass notifications for fee payments, which could bolster government revenues. Citizens from the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) are required to pay €56.80, while others face fees of €398.80. This move seems to prioritize those who can afford the fees, potentially leaving behind those unable to pay.

The conclusion of residency applications may take months, leaving many immigrants in precarious situations without access to basic services like healthcare and education. The timely issuance of residency cards is crucial for alleviating these vulnerabilities.