“We will change the way in which the Public Administration relates to immigrants, implementing the reform of SEF that guarantees a clear organic separation between police functions and the administrative functions of authorisation and documentation of immigrants, which must be ensured in close articulation with the Agency and registry and notary services and by sectoral public services; simplifying and shortening the procedures for renewing residence permits in Portugal”, reads the program of the XXIII Constitutional Government.

The programme was delivered by the Deputy Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Ana Catarina Mendes, to the President of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, after being approved by the Council of Ministers.

The extinction of the Foreigners and Borders Service, decided by the previous Government and approved in November 2021 in the Assembly of the Republic, was postponed from January to May due to the Covid-19 pandemic.