Immigration: the STM requested an urgent review of the organic law of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) to address the existing precariousness and strengthen the diplomatic network, which is unable to meet the needs of immigrants.

“The lack of state investment in the consular network means that a large part of visa processing is currently in the hands of the multinational VFS Global, a situation that represents a worrying outsourcing of sensitive functions of the Portuguese State and a loss of direct control over essential procedures of migration policy,” accused the STM.

Organic law of AIMA

The organic law of AIMA “provides for the existence of Immigration Liaison Officers, whose function is strategic for the management of migratory flows and for coordination with Portuguese diplomatic representations in the countries of origin of immigration, but these positions have been deserted for about two years,” said the union.

This comes at a time when the government has already rejected requests for flexibility from local authorities and business associations regarding the hiring of immigrants for reconstruction work after Storm Kristin.

In response to the requests, the executive branch considered that regulated migration channels are the only authorised form of entry, with visas issued by the consular system.

Despite the program being announced several months ago, the number of entries through this channel does not exceed 3,000 processes, according to figures released so far by the supervisory authority.

For the STM, “in an international context marked by conflicts, geopolitical instability and increased migratory pressure, it becomes even more urgent to reinforce the Portuguese institutional presence abroad”, with the appointment of liaison officers and the creation of new posts in “countries that today assume a central role in contemporary migratory dynamics”.

“Immigration workers cannot continue to be ignored,” says the STM, considering it a priority to “value their functions, invest seriously in training, ensure the dignified integration of professionals who already contribute daily to the functioning of services and strengthen public structures”.

Review the law

The STM calls for a review of the AIMA organic law, recalling that immigration is a “structural and permanent phenomenon of contemporary societies, which requires solid public policies, robust services and properly trained and valued workers”.

The current organizational chart is excessively cumbersome, bureaucratic, and redundant, creating internal blockages, overlapping competencies, and contributing to increasing organizational entropy that compromises the effectiveness of services and the State’s responsiveness,” says the STM, emphasizing that, “to this reality is added another growing concern: the use of cultural mediators in conditions of great precariousness and frequently as a ‘low-cost’ solution to meet permanent service needs.”

“Although the role of cultural mediation is relevant in supporting the reception and facilitating communication with foreign citizens, its use as a substitute for qualified public administration workers constitutes a structural error and a worrying sign of the devaluation of the technical functions in the area of ​​immigration,” accuse the union leaders.

The STM praises the role of cultural mediators “in the functioning of services and in direct contact with migrant communities,” considering that “they cannot continue to be maintained in precarious or informal regimes.”

The union argues that it is “necessary to create conditions for dignified and structured integration into the services, with a clear functional framework, adequate training, and institutional recognition of the work” they are already performing.