In a remarkable surge, the SEF contact center recently experienced an unprecedented volume of calls, surpassing 671 calls per second. This surge, occurring on October 17th, witnessed an astonishing 29 million call attempts in just 12 hours.
The Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) explained that the surge was caused by an influx of automated calls originating from mobile phones, employing 'dialers' to make simultaneous calls. The majority of these calls stemmed from internet-based services and mobile applications designed for automatic rebooking, ultimately overloading the system.
In response, SEF is actively exploring alternatives to swiftly implement a new digital channel-based service model. This approach promises faster processing times and aims to significantly reduce the current call volume.
Once implemented, this multichannel and segmented service model will efficiently direct a higher volume of contacts to automated channels. It will also facilitate swift categorization for appropriate channels, ensuring that exceptional cases are seamlessly routed to a service operator.
SEF has proactively communicated with the Public Prosecutor's Office (MP) upon receiving complaints and suspicions about the scheduling system. Some investigations have been initiated within SEF under the authority delegated by the MP.
The SEF contact center, currently staffed with 50 operators, handles over 3,000 calls daily across 21 languages. These languages include Portuguese, German, Amharic, Arabic, Kazakh, and several others.
As a strategic measure to mitigate issues, SEF has already implemented its proposed service model for certain matters, such as the issuance of new residence permits, wherein applicants are contacted in chronological order of request submission.
Additionally, the SEF portal now offers automatic procedures for residence permit renewals, eliminating the need for in-person visits.
SEF recently created over 60,000 additional assistance slots to address the backlog caused by the pandemic and a surge in new applications. Of these, 39,563 slots have already been scheduled.
On October 26th, SEF introduced an automatic renewal function for residence permits expiring by December 31st, 2022, benefiting 210,000 citizens who no longer need to make appointments.
SEF is actively taking steps to correct the situation, including hiring 116 new technical assistants, streamlining the procedure for residence permit applications, and reactivating the "SEF goes to school" program.
With thousands of immigrants eagerly awaiting SEF assistance, particularly in renewing residence permits, these measures are critical to alleviate the pressure on the system.
The foreign population in Portugal surpasses 800,000, with Brazilians constituting the largest community, numbering over 250,000.