The SEF denies that 35,000 Britons are “in limbo” in Portugal

The nearly 35,000 Britons residing in Portugal are trapped in the post-Brexit bureaucracy, writes “The Guardian”This Saturday. According to Al-Sabah, Portugal does not abide by the provisions relating to the rights of Britons residing in Portugal, ie accessing health care, changing jobs or leaving and entering the country.

The Portuguese government has committed – in the wake of the EU’s Brexit agreement with the UK – to issue biometric residency cards to British citizens living in the country. However, it still is.

Instead, so far, the government has only issued a temporary document containing the QR code – a document that is not recognized “at the international or domestic level,” the Guardian wrote.

interrogated by RenaissanceThe Foreigners and Border Service (SEF) denied the information provided by the British newspaper. “Current residence documents for British nationals residing in Portugal continue to be accepted, even after the end of the transition period (December 31, 2020), and until the issuance of the new residence permit,” he says.

The SEF also ensures that, since 15 February, British nationals registered in the Azores and Madeira have been notified, in chronological order of submission of documents on the portal, to schedule the collection of biometric data for their new residence card.

Last July, the SEF signed with the municipalities of Cascais and Loulé – the municipalities with the highest proportion of resident British nationals – a cooperation protocol in the scope of documentation for British citizens.

Under this protocol, municipalities shall provide the necessary facilities and human resources to implement the service and collect biometric data. In turn, the Self-Education Foundation (SEF) is responsible for training municipal council staff and provides the necessary support and IT structures for the operation,” he explains.

In Cascais, the project will begin “later this month”, with notification from the SEF, in chronological order, of about 2,500 British citizens and their relatives residing there, to appear at Citizen’s Shop to collect biometric data and renew documents. .

inquired by RenaissanceThe Ministry of Foreign Affairs referred all clarifications of this situation to the Ministry of the Interior.