SEF flooded with complaints over choked phone lines // New pipeline to link Portugal with rest of Europe
Portuguese news in English on Saturday, October 22, 2022.
By the numbers
SEF flooded with complaints over choked phone lines
After months without appointments for various types of residence permits, SEF (Immigration and Border Service has again been opening up spaces, Público reports. But a flood of foreigners are complaining it’s still impossible to contact the organisation. Cristina Wade wrote on a SEF Facebook post that she’d made more than 1500 calls in a day and even when she got through they would drop out after 42 seconds of an automatic answer. Many others had similar stories. SEF said there were 50 workers to handle the more than 42,000 appointment slots opened in recent days for residency permits, family reunion and residence cards for people with EU family members. Thousands more vacancies are expected to be released this month for golden visa renewals, applications to extend stays and other matters.
New pipeline to link Portugal with rest of Europe
Portugal, Spain and France have agreed to build a new pipeline that can transport green hydrogen and natural gas from the Iberian Peninsula to the rest of Europe, Público reports. The pipeline will travel under the sea from Barcelona to Marseille and replaces an old proposal for a tunnel under the Pyrenees mountains that France had opposed. Portuguese Prime Minister António Costa said the pipeline was designed to carry green hydrogen and other renewable gases but in the early stages could supply the rest of Europe with natural gas from Portugal. He said the interruption of gas supply from Russia linked to its invasion of Ukraine and the development of renewable technologies had allowed the project to go ahead. French President Emmanuel Macron said the project could expect to benefit from EU funding. A technical plan is due by December 9.
Several COVID-19 actions ruled unconstitutional
Of 32 complaints taken to the Constitutional Court regarding the management of the COVID-19 pandemic, 23 have been upheld, Público reports. The figures are contained in a report released by the court this week, reinforcing that fundamental human rights were impacted by government and health authority rules on several occasions. The report includes complaints upheld against mandatory quarantine periods enforced outside of the state of emergency, a mother and daughter locked in a hotel room on the Azores island of São Miguel, and a father prevented from leaving his home by the national guard because his son had COVID-19. The World Health Organisation this week declared the pandemic continued to be an international public health emergency, Lusa reports.
In brief
New visa to look for work available from October 30. The 120-day permit, with the possibility of two more months, has divided support organisations. Some welcome it but others worry it will worsen discrimination and even support “mafias” that bring people to the country for money. (Público)
Number of homeless Timorese immigrants continues to grow. The High Commission for Migration (ACM) referred to 793 citizens, 428 of which had been housed and just 168 offered work. (Público)
Portuguese population is poorer and being left behind. The number of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion jumped 12.5% in 2020. Portugal was second worst in Europe in terms of people living in housing with poor conditions (25%). (Díario de Notícias).
Inspector-General of Health opens inquiry into baby delivered dead in Évora. The family has accused Évora Hospital of medical negligence. (Lusa)
Investigation into current and former ministers went to public prosecutors two years ago and hasn't returned to police. It relates to €880,000 in direct contracts with the Lisbon City Council and an associated entity with a lawyers’ society of which a minister was a managing partner. (Público)
On a lighter note
This newsletter isn’t generally much help when it comes to shopping advice but today is a big exception. My partner (and sub-editor) Daniela Sunde-Brown has been diving deeper and deeper into the world of all things fashion in Portugal and has produced a fantastic in-depth guide to ethical and sustainable shopping in Lisbon. And don’t worry if you’re outside of the capital, most of the businesses have online stores too.