According to Expresso, which cites an agency report on the recovery of pending issues in the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), prepared this month, the new body began operations in October 2023 with just 714 employees - 41% of the contingent of the extinct bodies that would be available.

The document states that there was "a net reduction in total staff, due to the departure of several workers, not compensated by the additions that have occurred in the meantime".

"Many more immediately asked for transfer to other State services, but AIMA stopped them, a situation that will not be able to happen, by force of law, according to Expresso, which cites a source linked to the agency who says that the majority of employees resubmitted the request.

The report cited by Expresso indicates: "There are several mobility requests, estimated to represent the departure of 100 workers."

The lack of resources exacerbates the problem at the agency, given the high number of requests inherited from the SEF for residence permits from immigrants that await a response.

Expresso also cites the report stating that AIMA points to the existence of at least 459,384 processes in progress as of October 29, 2023, the majority (344,619) of legalisation through expressions of interest (for immigrants who are already in Portugal, without the need for legal entry into the territory).

"At the time of the SEF's extinction, there were still more than 3,200 humanitarian protection processes pending - 327 of which were for minors, 4,000 asylum requests, and almost 15,000 relating to obtaining nationality", adds the newspaper.