“The most fundamental issue is the implementation of an integrated migration policy, which naturally involves not only the arrival, regularisation, verification and documentation” of immigrants but also the “issue of their integration”, stated Pedro Portugal Gaspar in an interview with Lusa.

Is this role “in the same entity?” – he asked, immediately responding: “It is”.

In addition to these functions, AIMA “maintains the international protection part [asylum processes]”, and then the “police entity is responsible for expulsion” when the request “is unfounded”.

AIMA was created on 29 October, following the closure of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) and the High Commission for Migration (ACM), concentrating in a single entity the inspection and integration of immigrants, as well as the administrative verification of their processes.

Last week, the government announced the creation of the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders within the PSP and a new regime for the return and removal of citizens in an illegal situation in the country, removing these responsibilities from AIMA.

Pedro Portugal Gaspar considered the option for a unit within the PSP to be “natural”, highlighting the “effective cooperation between public bodies”, as happened in the recent arrest of an international fugitive in an AIMA store, in Vila Real.

The structure is responsible for “a set of administrative offence prerogatives” and other cases “are referred to the police authorities”, stated Portugal Gaspar, denying that the organisation is empty.

AIMA “will be a little more than the ACM”, because “it has some administrative justice prerogatives that it will exercise”, in addition to maintaining the administration of residency and regularisation processes for immigrants, and can also receive document renewals, currently at the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN).

"The main internal priority is to gradually build an AIMA identity, naturally with the symbiosis of existing workers and with reinforcements" in staff, he said.

It was a "complex process" and Pedro Portugal Gaspar thanked "the more than 700 AIMA workers, because they went through moments of tension, complicated moments that resulted, in fact, from the merger of two bodies with two different schools", one linked to inspection and policing (SEF) and the other to the integration of immigrants (ACM).

Regarding the cultural mediators - employees of migrant associations who provide services to AIMA on a permanent basis - Pedro Portugal Gaspar praised their "very important" role, mainly in "serving the communities themselves" and admitted to changing their precarious situation.

The AIMA director also highlighted that he is "considering extending the opening hours of the stores themselves", with a work shift system, to provide a "greater range of services" to users.