“Today, national borders are more secure, thanks to the reform implemented in the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF),” stated José Luís Carneiro to reporters during a visit to the Volunteer Firefighters’ barracks in Lagos, Faro, two days after a wooden boat carrying 38 Moroccan migrants landed on Boca do Rio beach in Vila do Bispo.
The PS leader explained that prior to the reform approved in 2023 by the Government, where he served as the Minister of Internal Administration with direct responsibilities in this area, “35% of the [Portuguese] maritime border was without coverage and control” by any security force, “because there were no human resources” in the SEF.
“Today, the entire maritime border is controlled by the Coastal Control Unit of the National Republican Guard,” he specified.
José Luís Carneiro expressed his desire to counter “some unfounded statements from many who wish to exploit these circumstances to weaken the institutions of democracy.”
“When I assert that the country’s borders are more secure today, I do so with evidence, and if required, I can provide material proof,” he declared.
Quoting official data from the European border control agency Frontex, José Luís Carneiro noted that “irregular entries into the European Union territory decreased by more than 30%” and pointed out that the “major routes” of illegal immigration are in the “Central and Eastern Mediterranean.”
The migrants who arrived on Friday in the Algarve will be placed in a temporary holding center until the completion of their return process, which could be voluntary or enforced, as decreed on Saturday by the Silves Court.
“It is crucial to ensure the conditions under which people are being accompanied, particularly to facilitate their return,” stated José Luís Carneiro in Lagos.
The PS secretary-general mentioned that he spoke today with Vila do Bispo mayor Rute Silva, who conveyed concern about three dozen migrants being housed in a pavilion in that municipality and requested better government oversight of the situation.
“Today, I spoke with the president of the Vila do Bispo Municipal Council and sensed her concern about having the migrants accommodated in a pavilion. They now require oversight from the Government and various authorities,” he concluded.
