As of midnight last night, SEF – the Serviços de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras – is no more. The service dealing with foreigners and borders has made way for AIMA, the agency for integration, migrations and asylum (promising “a new paradigm” in the way Portugal receives immigrants choosing to live here). But hours before the long-announced change-over, SEF inspectors managed to apprehend 15 kilos of cocaine, being brought into the country in the hand luggage of a Brazilian couple. The duo has been arrested, and will now appear in court. Meantime, AIMA inherits 347,000 pending cases involving immigrants, with the ‘priority’ being to regularise issues of family reunification by the end of the year, and almost the same number of requests for visa renewals. SEF personnel will be distributed between AIMA, IRN and the country’s police forces.
SEF apprehends 15 kilos of cocaine hours before service officially disbanded
