The Minister of Internal Administration said on Monday that the restructuring process of the SEF is being carried out “with great loyalty and clarity”, and announced that negotiations are underway with the unions on the future of the workers of that service.
“Until now, everything has gone with great loyalty, with clarity and in a position to arouse confidence in the change that is underway,” José Luís Carneiro told reporters. without indicating a date for the completion of the restructuring process of the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF), which has already been postponed twice.
The minister participated in the inaugural session of the annual congress of the Union for the Investigation and Inspection Career of the Immigration and Border Service (SCIF/SFEF), whose motto is “The SEF in times of war in Europe” and in which The extinction of this service is one of the hot topics.
At the end of the session, the official considered that “the most important thing is have a transition that takes place in a serene, peaceful and safe manner because, when it comes to dimensions related to security and humanitarian duties, all the precautions are few and that is why it is necessary to walk safely”.
“We are in dialogue with the unions, a dialogue that already configures a relative negotiation in relation to what is intended, when naturally these solutions are stabilized, we will give a public account,” he explained.
In her speech, the minister also affirmed that “it is the firm intention of the Government that the structuring lines of this transition and of what will be the future of the SEF workers, soon deserve an agreement that generates the well-deserved tranquility, fundamental for it” . it possible, safely and without interruption, to consolidate the entire architecture of the restructuring of the border control system, reception and integration of immigrants”.
The minister also considered that the restructuring of the SEF, which implies the separation of police matters from the administrative functions related to the support of immigrants, It is carried out as a result of the “great transformations” that are taking place in the framework of the United Nations response to migration and within the framework of the European Union, which reinforced the Frontex border guard and created an agency for the reception, integration and asylum of migrants.
“This restructuring aims to respond to these challenges of the United Nations and the European Union”, he said, and maintained that, within the framework of this process, Portugal will guarantee “the external security of the EU, good reception conditions and at the same time and time to safeguard the rights of SEF workers”.
Within the framework of the extinction of the SEF, which in the meantime was postponed until the creation of the Portuguese Agency for Migration and Asylum (APMA), the police powers of the Immigration and Border Service will pass to the PSP, the GNR and the Judicial Police, while the current powers in administrative matters in relation to foreign citizens are now exercised by the APMA and the Institute of Registries and Notaries.
Extinction of the SEF postponed by the Government
The extinction of the SEF was decided by the previous government and approved by the Assembly of the Republic in November 2021, having already been postponed twice.
Source: Observadora
