The government of Portugal announced the transition of immigration responsibilities from the Immigration and Border Service (SEF) to the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum.

Key Points:

• AIMA will succeed SEF and the Office of the High Commissioner for Migration in its administrative powers in migration and asylum, inheriting 347,000 pending cases.
• AIMA will initially operate with 34 service officers across the country. In the coming year, it will open an additional 10 offices as well as launch an online appointment scheduling portal for resident permit applications.

BAL Analysis: The government intends to expedite the processing of pending cases and resolve outstanding issues in the immigration system. Visa processing delays may occur as the new immigration agency transitions the backlog from SEF.