More than two hundred immigrants from Bangladesh, Pakistan and India demonstrated in front of the headquarters of the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, in Lisbon. At issue are delays in renewing or issuing the first residence card. The waiting time can be over a year.
The concentration began at around 10:30 am and a representative of these citizens explained to journalists that the discontent has mainly to do with the waiting time, which in some cases exceeds nine months.
The gathering began at around 10:30 am and a representative of these citizens explained to journalists that the discontent has mainly to do with the waiting time, which in some cases exceeds nine months, to obtain the renewal of the residence permit.
Ashiqul Islam was protesting with his wife and nine-month-old daughter, who already has Portuguese nationality because she was born in Portugal.
The couple, from Bangladesh, would like to take their daughter to visit her grandparents, but cannot leave the country because they do not have a renewed residence permit to be able to re-enter Portugal.
The immigrant told Lusa that, despite his daughter being born in Portugal, he cannot ask for social support because his card has not been renewed.
He also said that not long ago he went to a job interview which he says went well and for a job for which he was qualified, but he ended up being excluded when they asked him if his situation was regularized in Portugal and he had to answer that he hadn't. .
Abhi Kumal Sharma, who presented himself as spokesman for the hundreds of protesters, explained that the main reason has to do with the hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India who work and live in Portugal, who cannot obtain a card. residence permit within the three months stipulated by law.
He mentioned that, in terms of work, an updated residence permit is necessary in order to apply for a job, but that currently no one is able to obtain the document within the legal period of three months.
According to Abhi Kumal Sharma, as a result, employers tell them to resolve with AIMA, while AIMA asks them to wait.
Ruhul Hassan Rupok told Lusa that this has been his situation for the last three to four months, without being able to find work, at the same time that he says he is going through "serious problems" due to the fact that his father has died and he has not been able to be there with his family in Bangladesh for fear that he would not be able to re-enter Portugal afterwards.
Maein Uddin Bhuiyan, who has two daughters, one aged 8, the other aged 2, lamented that the fact that the renewal of her residence permit is successively postponed is putting into question the social support to which her daughters should be entitled. .