In a ceremony held at the national headquarters of the Public Security Police in Lisbon, Hugo Palma was appointed as the director of the Central Unit for Foreigners and Migrations of UNEF, and Carlos Ribeiro as the director of the Central Unit for Civil Aviation Security of UNEF.

António de Sousa Magalhães will take on the role of director of the Central Unit for Border Management of the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders of the PSP, and Paulo Flor is the director of the Central Unit for Return and Readmission.

The National Unit for Foreigners and Borders of the PSP is led by deputy national director João Ribeiro.

With the dissolution of the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF) two years ago, some competencies of this security service, particularly the control of air borders, were transferred to the PSP, which expanded its competencies with the creation of UNEF on August 21.

Besides airport security and border control, which includes the Temporary Installation Center (CIT) for foreigners in Porto (Housing Unit of Santo António) and CIT-equivalent spaces at the airports of Lisbon, Porto, and Faro, UNEF is also responsible for deportation, readmission, and return operations of individuals in irregular situations, previously assigned to the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum (AIMA).

The new regime for the return of illegal foreigners, approved today by the Government and set to be open for public consultation on Friday, will be exclusively managed by the PSP.