The National Republican Guard, the Public Security Police, the Foreigners, and Borders Service, and the Judiciary Police will sign today, at the Ministry of Internal Administration (MAI), in Lisbon, four protocols that establish the model of cooperation between the security forces and services within the scope of restructuring of the Portuguese border control system.

The protocols, which will be signed by the heads of each entity, are "a decisive step towards the implementation of the new border control system", approved by Law number 73/2021, of November 12, which reformulated the regime of the forces and services carrying out internal security activity following the restructuring of the SEF.

As part of the restructuring of the SEF, which was postponed until the creation of the Portuguese Agency for Migration and Asylum (APMA), the police competencies of the Foreigners and Borders Service will pass to the PSP, GNR, and Judiciary Police, while the current attributions in administrative matters relating to foreign citizens are now exercised by APMA and the Institute of Registries and Notaries.

The restructuring of SEF was decided by the previous Government and approved by the Assembly of the Republic in November 2021, having already been postponed twice, but the Minister of Internal Administration has already announced that this will happen in 2023.

"In order to guarantee continuity and homogeneity, the GNR assumes control of passengers at the maritime border, including at cruise terminals, throughout the national territory. The PSP assumes the security of people and goods, patrolling, maintenance of public order, and the resolution of tactical-police incidents in cruise terminals integrated into the maritime border and located in its area of jurisdiction", according to the protocol to be signed today.

The document also defines the model for executing compliance with decisions on the coercive removal and judicial decisions on the expulsion of foreign citizens, with the GNR now executing compliance with decisions to be executed at land and sea borders and the PSP at air borders.

According to the MAI, EF has so far trained 154 GNR staff and 160 PSP elements in border control matters.