Braga lawyer launches petition demanding creation of unique procedures for immigrants

A petition, launched this Thursday, demands the establishment of coordination between several Portuguese entities so that single procedures can be created for all immigrants. Brazilian lawyer Priscila Santos Nazareth Corrêa announces that Braga could be the stage for a demonstration, on April 5th, depending on what is scheduled for this Wednesday afternoon, in Porto.

“In view of the fragility of the service provision system offered to foreign citizens, in view of the danger of new abuses against this population, and the disrespect for constitutional norms”, the petition calls for coordination between the following bodies: Institute of Registration and Notary Affairs (IRN ), Agency for Migration and Asylum Integration, (AIMA, ex-SEF), National Health Service and General Directorate of Higher Education (DGES), “aimed at creating unique procedures to be adopted in a widespread manner among bodies”, it reads in the text. to which Lusa had access.

Authored by Brazilian lawyer Priscila Santos Nazareth Corrêa, a specialist in Private International Law, the petition also demands that a communication channel be created “urgently, digitally and protected from the so-called scheduling mafias” that ensures immigrants’ access to essential services, thus guaranteeing “obedience to the principle of efficiency of Public Administration”.

The lawyer, resident in Braga, states that the communication channel that now exists with AIMA via the website has not responded to requests made via form.

CPLP. JURIDICAL INSECURITY

The petition also demands that a regulation be drawn up, with public consultation with interested parties, namely the immigrant community and lawyers, “with a defined time frame for the application of the nationality law within the scope of the application for nationality by length of residence”.

“It is public knowledge that the recently created AIMA has faced an immense challenge in serving immigrants, with regard to scheduling interviews to grant residence permits, but also in cases of renewal, regrouping, change of data , extension requests and many other services that are only available in person”, reads the petition.

Therefore, it is considered that “immigrants have been harmed”, mainly with regard to “access to healthcare, renewal of scholarships, access to prizes for completing bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral studies”.

Furthermore, it should be noted that recently “the immigrant population that signed up for the CPLP residence permit” is “facing a situation of enormous legal uncertainty, given that the information provided at the time of the creation of the CPLP Portal was not conclusive to the point of allowing interested parties to choose this residence without prejudice to other rights inherent to the citizen, such as the right to come and go, and other constitutionally guaranteed rights”.

DEMONSTRATION IN BRAGA?

Priscila Corrêa is also one of the organizers of the immigrant demonstration, scheduled for this Wednesday, in front of the premises of the Agency for Migration and Asylum Integration, formerly the Foreigners and Borders Service – SEF, in Porto, as a protest against the delays in response to requests for documents and contradictory information between the various entities that harm foreign citizens residing in Portugal in their legalization process.

Depending on the impact of this Wednesday’s demonstration, others could be held in Braga, on April 5th, and in Lisbon, on the 11th, admitted Priscila Corrêa.