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The national director of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), Cristina Batista, resigned. The announcement was made by the Ministry of the Interior, through a statement to the newsrooms.
The resignation comes after eight disciplinary proceedings have been initiated against members of the SEF, following the death of the Ukrainian Ihor Homenyuk at Lisbon airport, in circumstances that, following the investigation, have already led to the indictment of three inspectors , for “obvious torture.” and the resignation of the airport director and deputy director of borders.
On September 30, the Public Ministry charged three SEF inspectors with the aggravated homicide of Ihor Homenyuk.
On November 16, the national director of the SEF admitted that the death of the Ukrainian citizen was due to “an obvious situation of torture”.
When asked by RTP as to whether he had placed the position at the disposal of the Minister of Internal Administration, who oversees the SEF, or if he had the intention of resigning, Cristina Gatões answered “no.”
Following the death of Ihor Homenyuk, the Minister of Internal Administration ordered the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the director and deputy director of Lisbon Borders, the EECIT Coordinator of the airport and the three SEF inspectors, meanwhile accused by the Ministry Public, as well as the opening of a query to the General Inspectorate of Internal Administration (IGAI).
Following this investigation, the IGAI initiated eight disciplinary proceedings against elements of the SEF and involved 12 inspectors from this security service in the death of the Ukrainian.
In the same statement, the Government informs that it will establish “a very clear organic separation between the police functions and the administrative functions of authorization and documentation of immigrants.”
Thus, a joint work between the “Security Forces and Services to redefine the exercise of police functions related to border management and the fight against human trafficking networks ”.
The Ministry of Administration also reported that it will reinforce its “strategic intervention in the areas of asylum and migration management”, foreseen in the Government Program, which highlights the importance of “reconfiguring the way in which public services deal with the phenomenon. immigration, adopting a more humanistic and less bureaucratic approach ”.
This redefinition of competences is expected to take place during the first half of 2021, with the appointment of meetings with the union structures representing the employees of the Immigration and Border Service.
The restructuring process of the SEF will be coordinated by the national deputy directors José Luís do Rosário Barão, who will assume the role of alternate director, and Fernando Parreiral da Silva.
According to him, it is in this context of the new institutional framework that the National Director of the Immigration and Borders Service, Cristina Isabel Gatões Batista, ceases her functions at his request and with immediate effect.
Cristina Gatões has a degree in Law from the Faculty of Law of the University of Coimbra and is a Senior Coordinating Inspector of the Research and Inspection Career of the SEF.
Cristina Gatões assumed leadership of the SEF on January 16, 2019, replacing Carlos Moreira, who left for personal reasons and his departure, according to a note from the Ministry of Interior Administration (MAI), coincides with a restructuring process of the Service . of Foreigners and Borders.
