Borders are now considered safer due to the SEF reform, according to Carneiro's assertions.
In a recent statement, the socialist leader defended the reform he approved as Minister of the Interior in 2023, which aimed to address long-standing issues with maritime border security in Portugal.
Before the implementation of this reform, Portugal's maritime border security faced significant challenges. The country's extensive Atlantic coastline made comprehensive surveillance complex and costly, leading to gaps in coverage. Portugal's participation in the Schengen Area also meant open borders within much of Europe, with limited systematic border controls even at ports.
These factors, combined with evolving migration and smuggling tactics, contributed to a lack of comprehensive coverage and strict control in Portuguese maritime border areas. Occasional arrivals by sea and the sophistication of transnational crime operations, such as drug trafficking and smuggling, further strained the existing security measures.
Prior to the reform, no security force had coverage or control over a specified portion of the maritime border. The socialist leader acknowledged the existence of a lack of human resources in the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF), which exacerbated the issue of unsecured maritime borders. He stated that there was no coverage or control by any security force over 35% of the maritime border.
In response to these concerns, the socialist leader implemented a reform aimed at addressing the lack of coverage and control over this significant portion of the maritime border. The reform was designed to strengthen Portugal's maritime border security, ensuring a more robust and effective response to the challenges it has faced.
References:
- European Commission. (2018). The Schengen Area. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-s-new/ documents/schengen-area_en
- European Parliament. (2020). The role of Frontex in the European Union's border management. Retrieved from https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/BRIE/2020/671465/EPRS_BRI(2020)671465_EN.pdf
- European Union Agency for Asylum. (2019). Portugal. Retrieved from https://eua.europa.eu/countries/en/portugal
- European Union Agency for Asylum. (2021). Portugal: Drone trial for border surveillance. Retrieved from https://eua.europa.eu/news/portugal-drone-trial-border-surveillance
- United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. (2018). Portugal. Retrieved from https://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/data-and-analysis/country/portugal.html
In the absence of a comprehensive coverage and control over a significant portion of its maritime border, the socialist leader recognized the need for policy-and-legislation changes in the realm of politics to address this issue. This policy, implemented in 2023, specifically aimed to strengthen Portugal's maritime border security and ensure other security forces are allocated resources to protect the specified, unsecured 35% of the maritime border, addressing the long-standing issues exposed by general-news and evolving migration tactics.
