The creation of UNEF (National Unit of Foreigners and Borders) has lit the warning among Brazilians living in Portugal. The new police force, nicknamed “police for immigrants”, was approved by the Portuguese Parliament and will come into force in the coming days with the declared objective of reinforcing migratory control.
But for about 550,000 Brazilians living in the country, change signals hardening in immigration treatment, with potential direct impacts on their permanence, regularization and family reunification.
UNEF will replace the extinct service of foreigners and borders (SEF) and will act in the inspection at airports, granting visas, verifying the legal permanence and repatriation of immigrants in irregular situation. It will be subordinate to the Public Security Police (PSP), as well as integrating functions that were once the responsibility of the agency for integration, migrations and asylum (AIMA).
Unique opportunity
Legacy Card: Far beyond a service
More supervision, less access
The new rules coincide with a harsher turn in Portuguese migratory politics. In June, the government announced that nearly 34,000 immigrants with denied requests of residence will be expelled – more than 5,000 of them are Brazilians. In addition, the popular work search visa, widely used by Brazilians, will be granted only to professionals considered “highly qualified” in still indefinite criteria.
Another sensitive change concerns family regrouping: it will only be allowed after two years of legal residence in the country – and needs to be requested outside Portugal. In practice, couples who move together, but with only one spouse with visa, will need to wait two years to meet legally.
The deadline for requesting Portuguese nationality was also extended: from 5 to 7 years for Portuguese speakers and to 10 years to the others.
Continues after advertising
Effect on Brazilians
These changes directly reach the largest foreign community in Portugal. According to AIMA, only in 2023 more than 147 thousand Brazilians obtained residence authorization, 44% of the total granted. In the same year, 44,000 requests were made via family regrouping, although the agency did not disclose the proportion of Brazilians in these data.
In 2024, until June, about 13,000 work visas were granted to Brazilians, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The data reinforce the importance of this population for the Portuguese economy: over 200,000 Brazilians are registered in social security, that is, they have formal work.
They lead the foreign presence in almost every sectors – except for agriculture and fishing, dominated by Asian immigrants.
Continues after advertising
Concern at Itamaraty
The Brazilian government has already expressed discomfort with the measures. “Brazil will seek more information about the proposals,” Ambassador Carlos Sérgio Sobral Duarte, from Itamaraty, told the agency Lusa. He also said he expects immigrant rights to be preserved. Justice Minister Ricardo Lewandowski even mentioned the possibility of reciprocity, noting that the Portuguese in Brazil have a status privileged.
“I don’t think a mere administrative measure can hurt this very close relationship we have,” said Lewandowski.
