PSP to have national unit for foreigners and borders
The Government will start collecting biometric and personal data from citizens who, coming from outside the European free movement area — the so-called Schengen area — enter the national territory via land borders. "This is a fundamental element to have adequate information for monitoring and to guarantee the regularity of entry into Portugal", said the Minister of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, António Leitão Amaro, after the Council of Ministers this Thursday.
At the press conference following the Council of Ministers, António Leitão Amaro told journalists that this measure is included in a proposed law on border control approved today by the Government and that will be sent to the Assembly of the Republic.
“We are regulating a new system for controlling exits and entries into national territory via external borders,” said the minister, explaining that citizens coming from outside the Schengen area, in order to enter Portugal, must undergo the collection of biometric data and personal data.
“It is a fundamental element to have adequate information for inspection and to guarantee the regularity of entry into Portugal”, stated the minister.
Leitão Amaro added that this measure “is implying a strong technological investment in machines, equipment, people and also in entry rules”, stressing that control will be “more effective, stronger at the entrances and exits” of citizens coming from outside the Schengen area.
“The Government has always said that Portugal needs immigration, we have to integrate the immigrants we receive in an effective and humane way, but we also need immigration with active and regulated monitoring and that is why today we approved a bill that will be submitted to parliament in the next few hours and that is already scheduled for discussion in two weeks’ time”, he added.