According to a report by ECO, each lawyer will receive this amount for each case, including travel and costs, to help immigrants in the granting of residence permits and pending renewals of residence permits.

The aim is to quickly resolve the 400,000 requests, in which lawyers and solicitors receive a minimum fee of €150 and a maximum of €1,400 per month in a process that is merely administrative.

According to the regulation, the duties of lawyers in these cases will be more focused on the instruction of administrative proceedings, as instructors of administrative proceedings. In other words: the analysis of supporting information, the promotion of the preliminary hearing and the preparation of the proposal for an administrative decision.

“The price indicated includes all costs, charges and expenses for which responsibility is not expressly attributed to AIMA, including, in particular, all expenses for accommodation, food and travel of human resources, acquisition, transport, storage and maintenance of material resources, as well as any costs arising from the use of registered trademarks, patents or licenses”, according to the Regulation for the Selection of Lawyers, Trainee Lawyers and Solicitors.

These services, provided remotely, will be provided by lawyers, trainee lawyers or solicitors, who “will be part of groups and teams to be formed according to the type of cases” assigned, as can be read in the competition.

“In a situation of urgency and flagrant violation of the human rights of migrant citizens, the OA decided to collaborate with AIMA to quickly resolve the 400,000 outstanding requests. A minimum fee of 150 and a maximum of 1,400 euros per month will be available to lawyers (who wish to) register”, explains Lara de Roque Figueiredo, vice-president of the General Council of the Portuguese Bar Association. “This is in no way to be confused with the SADT because if it were possible to appeal to it, that is exactly what citizens would do. This procedure is merely administrative and does not need to be carried out by a lawyer. However, the OA still felt that it was time to help the thousands of citizens who have not received a response from the State. The focus here was not on the amount (although it has obviously always been considered insufficient), but rather on providing support to those who need it”, she concluded.

In the statement, the two associations highlight “the honour and privilege of being able to contribute to the resolution of such a serious problem, which currently affects thousands of people in our country, defending the rights, freedoms and guarantees” of citizens and companies.