Immigrants seek additional resources via AIMA replacing SEF.

The end of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) is creating expectations among immigrants who know of the creation of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) and expect a more humane and rapid treatment of the Portuguese State.

I'm not a criminal. I came here to work and escape crime in my country. I can't be treated like a criminal," said Lusa Rosângela Silva, a Brazilian who came from Goiânia to Lisbon to try to "change her life once and for all."

Like Rosângela, many immigrants are stuck waiting for their immigration processes to be sorted out. Timóteo Macedo, leader of Immigrant Solidarity, one of the oldest organizations dealing with immigration, blames SEF for this problem.

Macedo emphasizes the importance of having a trusting relationship between everyone for successful immigrant integration in Portugal. He hopes that the new agency, AIMA, will improve the situation, as he considers it can't get worse.

The transition from SEF to AIMA has been a long-standing demand from associations like Immigrant Solidarity. They wanted immigration processes to be separate from the police to avoid viewing immigrants with suspicion.

Macedo accuses SEF of using immigrants as scapegoats and causing delays. These delays have even led to non-compliance with the law regarding family reunifications, a top priority for the new AIMA.

AIMA has a budget of 81 million euros and plans to hire more employees. The agency aims to prioritize family reunification cases and resolve pending processes with additional resources and service stations.

Macedo emphasizes the need for a significant overhaul of AIMA's leadership and organization to bring about positive change and prevent intermediaries, like unscrupulous lawyers, from taking advantage of vulnerable immigrants.

Lusa Rosângela Silva hired a lawyer to navigate her immigration process because she found it too complex. While she doesn't disclose the exact cost, she acknowledges that it's a significant expense but necessary to achieve her goal of staying in Portugal.