The Public Security Police (PSP) carried out the removal of 386 foreign citizens until November this year, while in 2024 113 cases were registered. As in 2024, Brazil is the country with the most lawsuits, with 101 dismissed last year and 135 this year.
The data was released by Paulo Ornelas Flor, director of the Central Return and Readmission Unit of the Public Security Police (PSP). The superintendent was one of the speakers at the IGAI “Forced Returns and Monitoring” conference, held on Friday, December 5th.
To these numbers it is necessary to add the 556 cases of voluntary returns, which represent 70% of the total number of foreigners leaving the country. According to the director, the “frank objective” is that 100% of returns are voluntary. “Our clear objective is to always achieve the majority of voluntary returns. That, in fact, is our objective at the end of each year”, stated Paulo Ornelas Flor.
Of the total number of leaves, 34% were monitored by IGAI, which evaluates the procedures carried out during the trip. Between 2019 and 2024 there was a 133% increase in monitoring these returns. Sometimes they occur with an escort, discreetly, according to risk assessment or special needs. However, most returns are made with the citizen alone, being accompanied to the plane door by PSP agents.
The Foreigners and Borders Unit (UNEF) has invested in training agents, with more than 100 police officers already trained by European Border Agency (Frontex, acronym in English). “We want to try, also through a strong investment in training in the area of counseling, a strong investment with the support of Frontex in the area of counseling preparation, leverage this number of voluntary returns and make it much more visible compared to forced returns”he detailed.
Officially, it was on October 29 of this year that UNEF assumed these return functions, mentioned the PSP superintendent. Paulo Flor pointed out that the operations are carried out with “full respect for fundamental rights and human dignity”.
Recently, a Memorandum of Understanding “on return” was signed between Portugal and Frontex. According to the Internal Security System (SSI), responsible for the operational execution of this measure, “the action plan aims to facilitate the implementation of effective returns of third country nationals who do not have or no longer have the legal right to stay in Portugal”. The duration of the protocol is one year and can be extended.
The measure is in line with the country’s new immigration policy. It was placed in public consultation the Government’s proposal to speed up the removal of illegal immigrants. AND
Among the proposals are eliminating the 20-day period for the immigrant to appeal the decision or voluntarily leave the country, moving directly towards coercive removal. Another measure is to increase the period of detention of foreigners to up to 540 days and establish in law that judicial appeal does not suspend the removal decision.
amanda.lima@dn.pt