Lisbon, May 22, 2025 (Lusa) - Portugal's Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said on Thursday that no immigrant "will lose their rights" due to delays in validating documents that allow them to regularise their status.
Hundreds of immigrants have been sleeping on the streets for days to secure a place in the queue for assistance at the Directorate-General for Consular Affairs and Portuguese Communities in Porto, to certify the criminal records issued by the authorities in their countries of origin.
Stamping the criminal record is essential for them to regularise their situation with AIMA - the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum - and guarantee their stay in Portugal.
"No one will lose their rights," said Rangel, assuring that the Government is taking measures to ensure that the delays harm no citizen.
The minister said that the delays were caused by the closure, for "almost a week", of the services of the Directorate-General for Consular Affairs in Lisbon, which forced "citizens who wanted to meet the deadlines to go to Porto, where resources are more limited".
Paulo Rangel added that the constraints were also due to a greater influx of immigrants who wanted to regularise their situation, noting that "this is a good sign."
"As soon as we heard about this influx, I spoke directly to the Minister of Cabinet Affairs and yesterday [Wednesday] a series of contacts were established; therefore, obviously, no one will be disadvantaged," he said.
In addition, he said, the government will ensure, starting today, extended hours to alleviate the long queues reported in recent days at the Porto facilities for migrants trying to regularise their situation.
Without specifying the extended hours, Rangel said that "the extension will be substantial" and called for "tranquillity and calm" to be maintained.
The service teams will also be reinforced in Lisbon, where the facilities have now reopened, and in Porto.
The minister explained that these measures "will not resolve the situation overnight" but should "gradually stabilise the situation."
The foreign minister also acknowledged that the situation is disrupting residents and businesses in the area where the consular services are located, stressing that this is another reason the government is speeding up the resolution of the problem.
"The situation is obviously causing significant inconvenience and disruption, which is why we are so committed to resolving [the situation] calmly and progressively," he said, adding that efforts are being made to double the number of appointments in two or three days.
PMC/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
