AIMA: New operation centers to handle pending procedural issues open in September

The Minister of the Presidency announced this Thursday that in September, service centers for resolving pending cases of the AIMA will open in various regions across the country, with the largest center located in Lisbon.

In a press conference following the Council of Ministers meeting, António Leitão Amaro stated that the Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA), which has around 400,000 pending administrative processes for immigrant regularization, will have these centers operational from September, with locations throughout the country, the largest being in Lisbon.

"This government has a solution for the 400,000 pending cases, although some may no longer exist, as many immigrants may have left the country due to the delay in the Portuguese State's response. We have created a task force that is already operational, contracting spaces with municipalities, NGOs, and other entities to establish service centers and form teams to accelerate the processing of these cases," said the minister.

AIMA Workers' StrikeWhen asked about the strike by AIMA workers, who are protesting against the lack of resources and refusing to work overtime, the minister attributed the discontent to the "poor management of the transition from the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) to AIMA" by the previous government.

"We cannot deny that the way the SEF was dismantled was a mistake," commented Leitão Amaro. He also expressed concern for immigrants who have been waiting for years for a response from the Portuguese State and stated that the situation at AIMA could be described as "chaotic," as suggested by a union representative.

Regarding the payment of overtime claimed by the striking workers, the minister assured that the government will pay what is legally due but emphasized that AIMA's problem is not a lack of financial resources but a shortage of staff.

Referring to the opening of the centers in September, the minister highlighted the complexity of the operation, which involves document processing, in-person service, biometric data collection, and document issuance.

He acknowledged the difficulties faced by AIMA employees after the dismantling of SEF and explained that it was necessary to create new teams to restore lost competencies.

The AIMA task force includes a temporary reinforcement of 300 staff members, who will be in place until June 2025, with 100 specialists to handle the pending cases and 200 to strengthen in-person services and biometric data collection.

These service centers will also offer complementary services, such as language support and assistance from the Employment and Professional Training Institute and Social Security, along with migrant associations.