At the beginning of the month, AIMA updated the table of fees and other charges applicable to administrative procedures under the legal regime for the entry, stay, exit and removal of foreign citizens from the national territory, with increases that in some cases exceed 25%, in acts related to residence permits, visas, renewals or other migration management services.

"This update to the table was already planned, and there is an indication that it is a review that they do periodically, but the important thing is that these increases revert to integration policies, which we have no guarantee will happen," the director of the Portuguese Catholic Migration Service, Eugénia Quaresma, told Lusa.

“No one minds paying if the service is well done and if the money is well spent,” added the director, who pointed out the very high costs for families.

“For investors, there is a large increase, but for families who earn little and are a large household, the cost is also very high,” Eugénia Quaresma considered, adding that “the fees should be in line with salaries in Portugal.”

Cyntia de Paula, vice-president of Casa do Brasil de Lisboa, agrees with the criticism and laments the large increase.

“This update was very high, but the most serious thing is that the situation of migrants is not resolved. The amounts are increased, but strategies that guarantee dignity, speed and timely resolution of residence permits are not actually created,” said Cyntia de Paula, considering that this causes many immigrants who started the processes many years ago to end up paying updated fees, due to delays by the State itself.

“This doesn’t mean that migrants don’t want to pay the fees; what they want is for their lives to be settled and for dignity to be guaranteed,” said the vice-president of Casa do Brasil in Lisbon, recalling that AIMA has been profitable, considering the costs and revenue from the fees, reaching 62 million euros.

Timóteo Macedo, president of the Solidariedade Imigrante association, pointed out that “the prices for regularisation processes are quite high, when immigrants already contribute immensely to the country’s economy and to the support of the social security system.”

“Portugal should have equal treatment for national and foreign citizens,” argued Timóteo Macedo, stating that the prices charged “violate the spirit of equality in a democratic state governed by the rule of law.”

“For processing documents, it doesn’t make sense that the prices are so different. The problem isn’t with AIMA, it’s with the policies of the Portuguese State, which exploits immigrants and their desire to live and work here,” added Timóteo Macedo.