Portugal UNEF border control operations

The Unidade Nacional de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (UNEF), a specialized unit of the Portuguese Public Security Police (PSP) created to replace the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), has completed its first year of operation.

The inaugural year was characterized by operational difficulties, specifically regarding long passenger queues and congestion at major airports like Lisbon due to the implementation of the European border control system. The National Union of Police Officers (SNOP) described the period as “very turbulent,” while advocacy groups criticized the unit for a lack of humanistic perspective and for prioritizing the “persecution of poor immigrants.”

Annual activity reports indicate that the UNEF controlled nearly 20 million passengers at air border posts, leading to 428 arrests for offenses such as document fraud. Additionally, the unit’s central migration unit conducted over 5,000 enforcement actions, resulting in 1,117 irregular immigration cases and managing various forced and voluntary returns. To address high passenger flows, the PSP deployed 1,504 officers across key locations including Lisbon, Porto, Faro, the Azores, and Madeira.