Portugal Suspends Border Agency SEF After Custody Death

In spring 2020, Ukrainian citizen Ihor Humenyuk was found dead at Lisbon airport while in the custody of Portugal's border control agency, SEF. The death was initially concealed for hours amid concerns that it would reveal mistreatment by SEF agents.

The Portuguese government, led by Prime Minister António Costa, subsequently paid a €700,000 compensation to Humenyuk's family without a court ruling and ordered the suspension of SEF's work, beginning a process to dismantle the agency.