The Public Security Police (PSP) reported on Monday that 34 cases of refusal of entry for foreign nationals have been processed, pertaining to students from Guinea-Bissau who have been held at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon since last Friday. One of the cases has already been “reviewed” and the decision “reversed.”
“The PSP informs that, at Humberto Delgado Airport in Lisbon, within the scope of its border control duties, 34 cases of refusal of entry for foreign nationals from a third country have been processed, and one case has been reviewed and the decision reversed,” the statement sent to the newsrooms reads.
The statement further mentions that “the decisions were made on a case-by-case basis under Law No. 23/2007, of July 4, in its current wording, and Regulation (EU) 2016/399 (Schengen Borders Code), always ensuring the procedural rights of those concerned.”
Regarding the reasons behind the authorities’ decisions, “the predominant reason for refusals was the lack of adequate corroboration of the declared purpose and conditions of stay in the Schengen Area – namely undertaking higher education studies in our country – under applicable legislation and, additionally, insufficient means of subsistence and/or lack of proof of accommodation compatible with the intended stay.”
“All foreign nationals had access to legal support, which was guaranteed to them,” it highlights.
The PSP also notes that “several citizens have submitted requests for review, providing new elements, which are being analyzed,” adding that “once the conditions meeting the criteria for approval of entry into a higher education institution are verified, […], the decision to refuse entry will be revoked.”
“Regarding the conditions of accommodation, the PSP continuously ensured meals, hygiene facilities, and beds for the citizens who remained in the International Zone (ZI), a solution adopted due to the capacity of the EECIT (space equivalent to a temporary installation center), as well as necessary healthcare,” it concludes.
A source from the National Directorate of the PSP clarified to Notícias ao Minuto that the number of students held is 34 (now 33) and not 41 as previously reported.
A leader of the Association of Students of Guinea-Bissau in Lisbon reiterated today, during a protest at the airport, that 41 young individuals are being held there, while the PSP states it’s 34, and they have still not received any consular support from Bissau.
It should be noted that Eliseu Sambú, coordinator of the communication department of the Association of Students of Guinea-Bissau in Lisbon (AEGBL), who has been accompanying these Guinean students since Thursday, told Lusa that the students have student visas, and their names are on the lists of students placed in public higher education in Portugal.
He added that in none of the cases was a request made for a document proving that they have means of subsistence in Portugal.
The issuance of student visas is the responsibility of the Portuguese authorities in the country of origin of the applicant.
Guinea-Bissau Students Held at Lisbon Airport
The Guineans with student visas blocked from entering Portugal and currently at Lisbon Airport have been informed they have until Friday to present the requested documentation upon landing or face repatriation, according to a group spokesperson.
The information was provided to Lusa by Eliseu Sambú, coordinator of the communication department of the Association of Students of Guinea-Bissau in Lisbon (AEGBL), who has been with these Guinean students since Thursday.
