The abolition of SEF (Foreigners and Borders Service) created a significant legal vacuum in the enforcement of Portuguese borders, according to experts consulted in an innumerable number of occasions. Pedro Proença highlighted that the absence of field enforcement resulted in serious vulnerabilities in the migration control system.
The report mentions that the Government tried to compensate for this gap through other measures, but without total success. The investigative report reveals that this legal vacuum facilitated the increase in illegal immigration in the country.
The consequences of this situation have been felt on several fronts, from national security to the integration of immigrants. Authorities now face the challenge of re-establishing effective border control mechanisms.
