The workers of the Portuguese Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (AIMA) have announced a strike starting on August 22, 2024, primarily targeting overtime work, which will extend until the end of the year. AIMA was formed last October following the abolition of SEF ((Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras). AIMA is responsible for regularizing the entry and stay of foreign citizens into Portugal including granting residence permits.
In a statement to LUSA – Portuguese News Agency, the National Federation of Unions of Public and Social Workers (FNSTFPS) clarified that “this strike will last until the end of the year”, with the expectation that “it may be called off if AIMA takes the necessary steps to create the staff map with a sufficient number of workers to address pending requests and manage contacts with immigrants”.
The strike arises from deep-rooted concerns over inadequate staffing, overwhelming workloads, and frustrations with the ongoing transition from SEF (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras) to AIMA. AIMA workers have long been raising alarms about the unsustainable conditions they face, with more than 400,000 pending cases creating significant delays. The issues have been exacerbated by a recruitment process that many describe as opaque, further stressing an already strained system.
