“During the period in question, 4,330 police operations were carried out in the country, resulting in the inspection of 33,725 foreign citizens,” the PSP stated, highlighting that there was an increase in inspection and enforcement actions last year.

According to the PSP, “1,307 arrests were made for illegal stay in the country and for other offences, namely forgery of documents, possession of prohibited weapons and crimes against property,” and “1,071 reports of administrative offences were filed, under the Foreigners Law.”

Furthermore, the PSP issued 139 notifications to the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA).

In the statement, the PSP reaffirms its commitment to "preventing and suppressing illicit activities related to illegal immigration and human trafficking."

But, in addition, the police authorities recalled their efforts in "detecting situations of social vulnerability, frequently associated with precarious housing conditions and difficulty accessing a regulated labour market."