In a statement, the Union of Investigation, Surveillance and Border Inspectors (SIIFF) explains that this partial strike stems from the Government's lack of response regarding the rights of the inspectors following the approval of the proposed law that "provides for the dispersion of police powers of SEF by the PJ, PSP and GNR".

A union source told Lusa that the partial strike will last two hours a day.

The union considers that this law "will, inescapably, dictate the end of the Foreigners and Borders Service", and states that at a meeting in June the Minister of Internal Administration defined the end of June as the deadline to present a document with "the terms in which the rights” of these inspectors were assured and regrets that this has not yet happened.

“Up to the present date, this document has not reached this union, nor has the reason for such omission been indicated”, he stresses.

In July, the Assembly of the Republic approved the Government's proposal that defines the transfer of police powers from SEF to the PSP, GNR and Judiciary Police.

The Government's proposed law aims at “reforming the security forces and services that, under the terms of the law, carry out the activity of internal security, amending the Internal Security Law, the Criminal Investigation Organization Law and the organic laws of the GNR and PSP”.

This change defines the transfer of police powers from SEF to the National Republican Guard (GNR), Public Security Police (PSP) and Judiciary Police (PJ) and, according to the government, makes "the separation between police and administrative functions of authorisation and documentation of immigrants” foreseen in the Government's programme.