PSP reports rise in irregular migrants arriving in Lisbon and Porto

The Portuguese Public Security Police (PSP) has reported an increase in irregular migrants arriving in the Lisbon and Porto metropolitan areas via bus and train from other European cities. According to João Ribeiro, the deputy national director of the PSP and head of the National Unit for Foreigners and Borders (UNEF), these individuals are often moving within the Schengen Area after losing legal status in other countries, sometimes using Portugal as a transit point to reach destinations like Ireland via air travel.

In response to these migratory flows, the PSP is seeking a ‘quick solution’ for the construction of temporary installation centers in Lisbon and Porto, noting that 30 million euros in European funding for such centers was previously lost. Currently, Portugal has 130 available spots for migrants in the expulsion process, distributed across facilities in Porto, Santo António, and airports in Lisbon and Porto.

The PSP aims to expand capacity to 306 spots by the second half of 2027 and intends to create a national screening center at Lisbon airport to manage asylum requests and redirect processes more efficiently.