In a statement, the union expressed "total solidarity" with colleagues at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) in Ponta Delgada, where the Judiciary Police (PJ) conducted searches on Thursday.

AIMA announced, meanwhile, the initiation of an internal investigation, promising "full cooperation" with the authorities.

The union voiced “serious concern over AIMA’s portrayal in the media and among the public.”

“Persistent negative coverage not only undermines the institution’s credibility but also intensifies the pressure on employees, who consistently perform under challenging conditions,” the statement declares.

The Union of Migration Technicians asserts that this situation directly harms foreign citizens relying on these services and worsens existing difficulties.

The union also cautioned against “the dangers linked to outsourcing in specialised fields such as immigration.”

"These are functions that require specialised knowledge, institutional responsibility, and legal sensitivity, and should not be undervalued or outsourced without a rigorous assessment of the consequences for the quality of public service and the protection of citizens' rights," the union states in its press release.

Following the searches at the AIMA delegation in Ponta Delgada, the PJ (Judicial Police) informed, in a statement, that it was investigating "crimes of abuse of power, undue receipt of advantage, and corruption," with the operation being carried out within the scope of an inquiry led by the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Department of Investigation and Criminal Action (DIAP) of the Azores District.

"At issue are suspicions of the practice of illicit acts by public officials, consisting of the undue attribution of priority to certain services and the processing of cases, in exchange for financial compensation," reads the note from the PJ sent to newsrooms.