en 
At issue, according to leader Manuela Niza, is the maintenance of leadership positions from the former SEF, which was wound up in October 2023, in the current AIMA, ignoring that the organization also includes powers from the former High Commissioner for Migration (ACM).
“Leaving these people in management positions without a public exam is a shot in the foot for the institution itself,” said Manuela Niza, who met a week ago with the AIMA management, representing the STM.
“We informed the management that there was currently a climate of nepotism and despotism at AIMA”, which had a “poorly executed and poorly planned” process in its creation following the extinction of ACM and SEF.
For the hierarchical organisation of AIMA “there was no type of competition, people’s capacity was not taken into account” and a model was created that maintains the administrative tradition of SEF itself, accused of not having the reception of immigrants as its focus.
On the other hand, unlike what happened before, where technicians did everything, now the structure is divided between employees who “provide customer service and the others who only provide instructions” on processes.
This “creates problems with the fluidity of service”, accused Manuela Niza.
In a letter sent to employees, the STM management explained that it expressed, at the meeting on January 9, to the AIMA management “the discomfort” of the workers, also contesting that the union still does not have access to the list of employees or to an institutional email.
At the meeting, the STM requested the reinstatement of the “shortage allowance withdrawn from employees” and the “allowance for settling in the Madeira and Azores archipelagos”, also contesting the “way in which resources are being mobilised” for the Mission Structure.
At the meeting, the union informed AIMA management that it had asked the supervisory authority to “create a special career” for those working in migration.
“Paradoxically, our Board of Directors did not seem very enthusiastic about the hypothesis, for reasons that, frankly, we do not understand”, concluded the STM.
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The current situation with AIMA is appalling. Waiting and waiting, then still waiting to just get residency card renewed. No responsibility, no plan, no action, no answers. Management should resign.
By A V from Algarve on 27 Jan 2025, 21:58
This is a disgrace. They had a system that was broke. They supposedly were going to totally revamp it and they’ve got a system again that’s completely broken. I submitted all of my documents to renew my visa for the final time almost 3 years ago have never heard anything from The Office and I’m just in a limbo with an expired ID card. You can’t penetrate the system and I’ve had my attorney and an advocate and many others, and they all have failed because the system has failed.
By Patrick oh from Lisbon on 28 Jan 2025, 12:06
I’m a Canadian citizen and married a Portugal resident and now I am trying to apply my residency. We are trying to do everything the right way but everything in Portugal seemed to be run by money. You don’t get appointments with AIMA unless you get a lawyer or you know someone in AIMA. People have made a business out of the Portuguese system. When you go to the AIMA office they won’t even speak to you unless you have an appointment and it’s is IMPOSSIBLE to even get an appointment. All they say is send us a email and we will answer your questions. I have sent numerous emails and I have never serviced a single reply. It’s a very poor system.
By Nida Mahmood from Other on 28 Jan 2025, 13:35
I've run a call center with over 700 customer service agents, and let me tell you something about good customer service. Agents need the "ability to resolve" customer needs. It's wasteful and frustrating for everyone to segregate these capabilities. Instead train up on skills and have experienced supervisors nearby to help train and resolve live calls.
By Brian Sanders from Other on 29 Jan 2025, 06:59
The change from SEF to AIMA was an opportunity to rethink and restart immigration processes. The idea that the new organisation be led by the same people that had charge of SEF previously is beyond rational belief. To give something a new name, carry on in largely the same manner, then expect a different, better, outcome does not make a great deal of sense?
By Peter Wenham from Algarve on 29 Jan 2025, 10:48
Still waiting and winder will we have a simple renewal by June ? Roadblock when you are told your card is expired by no fault of your own and few
are acknowledging the June, 30, 2025 to complete business. The computers show expired card in several entities. Period. No extension. This is an embarrassing situation for an EU country with no end in sight. Please pick up the telephone ☎️. Bell developed it for a reason..to save all this running around in circles.
By Anne from Lisbon on 29 Jan 2025, 12:50
Aima is totally unfit for purpose. The minister in charge should resign immediately. Phone line is never answered, emails never answered. Meanwhile people are left in limbo. Its hard to believe this is a European country sometimes.
By Alan from Alentejo on 29 Jan 2025, 22:53
They are just a sad joke.
Playing with people's lives like that. Lack of professionalism and lack of understanding of the nature of their job. People are stuck in the country or outside it because it is impossible to make an appointment with the immigration office for more than a year and a half?! Precisely in a country with more than a million immigrants that it needs so much, the immigration office needs to be as strong and as professional as possible, not only to effectively handle the bureaucracy that will allow these immigrants to stay and flourish the economic wasteland that Portugal is in, also in informing the local population and public servants, increasing awareness and accessibility Language studies for immigrants and locals alike.
Its about time someone will wake this people up
By Hadas from Alentejo on 29 Jan 2025, 22:55
My baby was born in portugal last February and still we don't have an id card for our baby . We approached an advocate and filed a court case . Still no use . Its unbelievable that ,a country in schengen region can't follow a proper system . Sef / Aima all the same . Half of the day common people like us waste our time calling them and never they will never attend. Pity on the system
By Arun from Porto on 30 Jan 2025, 02:25
How can this be possible that the service can be this bad in the year 2025, when we get straight way replies from AI's like ChatGPT or DeepSeek... I mean whats the actual problem _
By Nitin Kapoor from Lisbon on 30 Jan 2025, 02:37
My residency card is expired from 7 months no help at all..I got appointment but tavira AIMA refused to renew it. I am suffering with my 2 years old baby here.
By Amandeep from Other on 30 Jan 2025, 13:53
As the country needs immigrants and companies need them even more, I'm curious why the latter have not pleaded with the institution representatives to fix whatever isn't working, which at this point seems to be a lot.
By Tom from Lisbon on 02 Feb 2025, 13:55
Yes the system us broken. Complete incompetence. I checked with border police at faro and yes I am on the database as a D7 Visa applicant so they have my email so why doesn't AIMA email all of us if only to say we know you are waiting and will contact you once they're fully functional. Instead all of us are running around, getting annoyed, stressed. Send us all a document simply saying we are being processed, that our expired passport visas have been extended. As it stands we risk deportation to origin country if we travel to another EU country. Just hire one good IT consultant and do it!
By MR ANTHONY H TABOR from Algarve on 19 Feb 2025, 12:04