Speaking to journalists after a hearing by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees, the president of AIMA, Pedro Portugal Gaspar, explained that the process announced last week by the government has already begun, using the resources of the mission structure that is carrying out the regularisation of pending processes.

"The current situation is that this CPLP residence permit situation began precisely today (…)", he said, referring to a "universe of 212 thousand" Portuguese-speaking citizens who will see "the previous sheet of paper replaced by a card" for residents in Portugal, similar to those of other immigrants, which includes the collection of biometric data and verification of documents.

The announcement was made last week by the Minister of the Presidency, António Leitão Amaro, at the press conference following the council of ministers.

"The ordinance, signed by the ministers of the Presidency, Justice and Internal Administration, has just been published, which allows us to resolve a precarious situation with the residence permits of 220 thousand foreign citizens", he said, referring to citizens of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP).

Under a 2023 ordinance, these citizens obtained an administrative residence permit, a document issued on an A4 sheet of paper that did not allow them to travel within the Schengen area.

Leitão Amaro said that these CPLP citizens will start to be called from next week for the collection of biometric data and verification of the documents necessary for the replacement and renewal of the residence permits issued.

Among the necessary documents is, according to the order published in the Official Gazette, the criminal record of the country of origin at the time of renewal and replacement of residence permits that resulted from conversions of expressions of interest.

"Whenever a residence permit has been issued based on this model, now revoked, without the criminal record of the country of origin of its holder having been verified, this being a requirement for obtaining any residence permit, it is necessary to ensure its compliance", says the dispatch.

The official stressed that this diploma puts an end to this precarious paper title, replacing it with "a residence card whose granting implies the collection of biometric data and verification of the necessary documents".

"We were able to provide dignity and eliminate this negative discrimination. We provided more security for the country and for the process, because we collected biometric data and verified the documentation," he highlighted.

The ruling also states that "this model, now abandoned, led to the Portuguese State being taken to court for alleged non-compliance with the provisions of Council Regulation (EC) No. 1030/2002 of 13 June 2002, which establishes a uniform format for residence permits for third-country nationals, with certain specifications ensuring and standardising the security and quality of residence permits in the European Union".

In this regard, Leitão Amaro stated that this change has resolved "the European infringement process for non-compliance with European law" that Portugal was going through.

In this sense, the residence card uses the uniform model issued in accordance with the rules in force in the European Union.

Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor are the countries that are part of the CPLP.