A small assembly of lawyers, who gathered today outside the AIMA headquarters, received support from João Massano, who noted his unsuccessful attempts to communicate with the current leadership in his role as President of the Lisbon Regional Council of the Portuguese Bar Association (AO).
“When we face such a severe issue within public services, something must be done.” He continued, “It doesn’t make sense that lawyers don’t have access to AIMA, especially to help those who spend extensive time waiting,” remarked the newly elected president of the Bar Association.
Massano highlighted that “each lawyer represents many people and can help reduce the number of individuals at AIMA’s doorstep,” yet the current situation is “unacceptable.”
Lawyers “must arrive very early to ensure service,” as there are limited appointment slots, with only ten available daily at the headquarters and even fewer at other AIMA branches, which Massano criticized, saying it is “not befitting of a state like ours.”
“Today, getting in touch with AIMA is incredibly difficult,” Massano mentioned, citing instances of delays even in scheduling appointments for immigrants to make payments.
Providing an example, he stated, “I know of situations involving Gold Visas representing significant amounts of money that the Portuguese state hasn’t received for two years due to unavailability of payment appointments.”
Set to take office on May 8 at 17:00, Massano emphasized that this issue will be a priority during his tenure.
“We cannot be ignored in solving this problem related to the quality of services,” he declared, highlighting inconsistencies in the functioning of tax service centers, with some requiring appointments while others allow walk-ins.
“This is nonsensical. We are no longer in pandemic times,” he remarked.
Today, a group of lawyers dealing with immigrant issues protested outside AIMA’s headquarters to challenge the obstacles facing their work, accusing the institution of violating administrative regulations.
Attorney Elaine Linhares explained to journalists that the protest aimed to end “restrictions on the professional exercise of law” at AIMA.
She stated that every day, token numbers are limited for lawyers in each office, making it impossible to handle basic administrative procedures. Linhares, a Brazilian lawyer practicing in Portugal for six years, questioned, “What are we supposed to tell our clients if we can’t access an open office due to these limitations?”
The lawyers have requested a meeting with AIMA’s management but have yet to receive a response.
Other means of communication have been unproductive: “Emails are deleted, the call center is unresponsive, and written correspondence goes unanswered. The only viable option left is our physical presence here.”
There has been an increase in lawsuits demanding compliance with administrative requests due to the lack of responses, but despite heightened litigation, administrative acts like reviewing a case file remain necessary.
“We have no access to anything,” expressed the lawyer.
The agency Lusa sought a statement regarding the protest and complaints from AIMA’s management but has received no response so far.
