The Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) is reportedly experiencing a severe internal crisis due to an unprecedented influx of court decisions. The president of the Supreme Administrative Court (STA), Jorge Aragão Seia, described the situation as one of 'total panic', with AIMA struggling to manage the overwhelming volume of immigration cases.
In a recent surge, AIMA received over 12,000 orders and around 7,000 judgments in just a month and a half. This has severely hampered the agency's ability to respond to immigration applications and inquiries, leading to disorganization and a lack of resources. The current backlog of cases has reached approximately 133,000, prompting urgent calls for intervention.
To address this crisis, the judiciary has mobilized an extraordinary team of 28 judges who are working beyond regular hours to process these cases. Despite the strain on AIMA's services, the STA has emphasized the importance of maintaining a steady pace in the courts to prevent further delays in addressing the needs of foreign citizens seeking to regularize their immigration status in Portugal.
Jorge Aragão Seia has highlighted the critical need for additional human and IT resources to support AIMA's operations. He has urged the government to create a dedicated team focused on court notifications and public service to alleviate the current pressures. Furthermore, he has called for legislative adjustments to allow undocumented immigrants to remain in Portugal while their cases are being processed, thereby preventing automatic deportations.
Without these legislative changes, Aragão Seia warned of potential legal challenges and compensation claims for violations of European law. The STA is also facing its own challenges, including staff shortages and delays in the administrative justice system, with estimates suggesting that at least 60 more judges are needed to effectively manage pending cases.
In addition to immigration issues, the STA is contending with pressures from the tax justice system, which is currently managing approximately €19 billion in large-scale economic cases. To improve the situation, structural reforms and expedited training for new judges have been suggested, aiming to reduce the training period to two years to better meet the demands of the judicial system.
Editor’s note — Greenlight publishes this article in Greenlight's neutral editorial voice, drafted with AI assistance from the source link and edited before publication. It is general information, not legal advice, and may not reflect the most recent regulatory change. Greenlight is a software platform, not a law firm — for binding guidance about your situation, engage an Ordem dos Advogados–registered lawyer. Always verify time-sensitive details against the original source linked on this page or the relevant government channel (AIMA, Diário da República, MNE) before relying on them.