Syndicate leaders “doubt May deadline can be met”
The controversial dismantling of borders agency SEF has been taken on with gusto by the new minister for interior administration José Luís Carneiro.
In spite of all predictions to the contrary, Mr Carneiro intends to keep to the latest deadline set by the government, and ensure SEF is no more by May 12.
Syndicate leaders are said to doubt this will be possible, but for the time being are ‘playing along’.
Their concerns that staff conditions and salaries will be assured are their top priorities at the moment – and according to Acácio Pereira, president of the ‘sindicato da carreira de investigação e fiscalização do SEF’, these aspects have seen “guarantees”.
A meeting on Monday preceded a statement put out by the ministry today which said the process of ‘transition of competences’ from SEF to the GNR and PSP will begin tomorrow (Wednesday April 6) with the start of the first Frontiers Training course for GNR agents.
This course will be taking place in Queluz (near Lisbon), and the 44 GNR agents will then serve an ‘internship’ on the maritime frontiers of Lisbon, Funchal and Leixões.
A second course, for 44 PSP agents, will take place on April 18 – seeing their ‘internships’ on maritime frontiers in Lisbon, Faro and Funchal.
Says the ministry “the start of this training process is fundamental to guarantee a sustained and effective transfer of competences towards the re-structuring of SEF”.
Meantime, the backlog of bureaucratic issues facing the administrative arm of the ‘new look’ service, grows in size and frustration by the day.
