The strike was called by the Migration Technicians’ Union (STM) and runs from midnight to midnight, covering workers at the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) across the country.

RTP reports that the industrial action could affect AIMA service counters today.

Worker demands

At the centre of the dispute are demands for better pay and the creation of a specific technical career for migration workers.

The union is calling for greater recognition of the specialised work carried out by AIMA staff, as well as a salary supplement equivalent to that received by members of the GNR and PSP carrying out border control duties.

Workers are also demanding more technical and human resources for the agency.

The STM says it requested an urgent meeting with the Government but had not received a response before the strike.

The union argues that migration workers carry out specialised duties involving areas such as document verification, fraud detection, risk analysis, immigration processes and the application of Portuguese and European legislation.

Call for new leadership

The strike also comes during a period of uncertainty at the top of AIMA following the departure of its president, Pedro Portugal Gaspar.

The union has called for new leadership with experience in migration and says greater stability is needed within the agency.

AIMA has faced considerable pressure since it was created in 2023, taking over many of the administrative immigration responsibilities previously handled by SEF.

Anyone with an appointment or planning to visit an AIMA service point today could therefore face disruption as a result of the strike.

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