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🇵🇹 Portugal /Economy & Trade

Portuguese Bar Association Reports Over €200,000 Owed by Immigration Agency to Lawyers

From Público · (2d ago) Portuguese Critical tone

Translated from Portuguese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • The Portuguese Bar Association has received complaints about delayed payments from the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum (AIMA) to lawyers handling residency permit applications.
  • AIMA owes lawyers approximately 244,000 euros, with the agency citing issues like missing documentation from service providers as a reason for the delays.
  • The Bar Association criticizes the low payment of 7.5 euros per case but acknowledges the lawyers' work has helped clear a backlog of applications following the extinction of SEF.

The Portuguese Bar Association is voicing serious concerns over the persistent delays in payments from the Agency for Integration, Migrations and Asylum (AIMA) to lawyers who have been instrumental in processing residency permit applications. As reported by Público, the Bar Association has been inundated with complaints, highlighting a significant financial strain on legal professionals.

o pagamento seja efectuado

— João MassanoThe Bar Association president stated they have been pressuring AIMA to ensure payments are made.

Bastonário João Massano stated that AIMA owes lawyers a staggering 244,000 euros. While AIMA's president, Pedro Portugal Gaspar, acknowledged a debt of around 200,000 euros, he attributed a portion of the delays to "lack of supporting documents from the service providers themselves," such as missing non-debt certificates and incorrect email addresses. This explanation, however, does little to alleviate the frustration of the lawyers.

o pagamento seja efectuado

— João MassanoThe Bar Association president stated they have been pressuring AIMA to ensure payments are made.

The protocol between the Bar Association and AIMA was established to expedite residency applications after the dissolution of the Immigration and Borders Service (SEF), which had a backlog of 400,000 cases. Lawyers receive a mere 7.5 euros per case, a sum the Bar Association deems "unacceptable" and "insulting," despite it being agreed upon by the previous leadership. This low remuneration devalues the crucial work performed by these professionals.

o pagamento seja efectuado

— João MassanoThe Bar Association president stated they have been pressuring AIMA to ensure payments are made.

Despite the payment issues, Massano conceded that the government views the lawyers' work as "exceptional" in meeting its objectives. He emphasized the Bar Association's commitment to societal and state collaboration, stating, "We have always defended that the legal profession must stand alongside society and the State" in resolving public service issues. However, the current payment situation casts a shadow over this partnership, raising questions about the sustainability and fairness of such arrangements.

o pagamento seja efectuado

— João MassanoThe Bar Association president stated they have been pressuring AIMA to ensure payments are made.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Público in Portuguese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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