Latest news and stories about illegal immigration in Portugal for expats and residents.
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The scheme's objective was to remove people from Angola, ensuring their entry into the Schengen Area via Portugal.
The Public Prosecution Service (Ministério Público) has charged 15 individuals and six companies for running a network that facilitated illegal immigration. The group allegedly created fraudulent Social Security (Segurança Social) records to help over 2,000 foreign citizens obtain work visas and residency. Those awaiting residency should ensure their documentation is handled by reputable legal professionals to avoid involvement in such schemes.
The Public Prosecutor's Office (Ministério Público) is the independent body that leads criminal investigations and represents the state in court. It gets involved in cases like a long-delayed INEM response because it can order autopsies, investigate potential criminal negligence or procedural failures, and decide whether to bring charges or recommend disciplinary action.
The Portuguese Public Ministry has charged 15 individuals, including six companies, with organizing a scheme to facilitate illegal immigration. The operation, called 'Contrato Formoso,' uncovered a network led by Mustafiz Sairniabat, based in Lisbon, that used fake employment contracts to legalize thousands of immigrants, mainly from Pakistan and India. The scheme involved charging each immigrant around €6,000 for documents, including false work contracts and social security contributions, generating over €448,000 in illicit profits. Sairniabat and accomplices also recruited Portuguese citizens to sign false residence attestations for small payments. The investigation revealed that the organization exploited legal changes to streamline immigration processes, with Sairniabat's company issuing fake employment records for hundreds of migrants.
The Portuguese Public Prosecutor's Office has charged 15 individuals and six companies in a scheme that facilitated illegal immigration by falsifying employment contracts. The operation, called 'Contrato Formoso,' uncovered a network led by Mustafiz Sairniabat, based in Lisbon, which charged migrants around €6,000 for fake documentation and work contracts. Sairniabat allegedly received nearly €449,000 from 2020 to 2025 through these services. The scheme involved creating false employment records, recruiting vulnerable Portuguese citizens to sign fake residence attestations for small payments, and establishing fake companies to legitimize the process. The network's activities resulted in the legal legalization of thousands of migrants using fraudulent documents, highlighting a significant immigration fraud operation in Portugal.
The article reports that the Portuguese Public Ministry has formally accused 15 individuals of operating a criminal network involved in facilitating illegal immigration. The investigation uncovered a structured organization that assisted migrants in entering Portugal unlawfully, highlighting ongoing efforts by authorities to combat immigration-related crimes.
The police operation, named Caravela, was carried out simultaneously in both countries and resulted in the arrest of five people in Spain, suspected of introducing individuals into the labour market.
Search warrants were executed in the national territory in the cities of Vila Nova de Gaia and Valongo, in the Porto district, and in Estarreja, in the Aveiro district.
A 53-year-old foreign man was detained in Lisbon by Portuguese authorities. He is wanted in Hungary for allegedly facilitating illegal immigrant entries at the Hungary-Austria border, receiving substantial payments. The suspect is linked to a criminal network and faces potential sentences of up to 20 years for aiding illegal immigration. He will be presented to the Lisbon Court of Appeal for measures of coercion.
The detainee was part of a network that, in exchange for large sums of money, facilitated and smuggled undocumented migrants into Spain.
A 45-year-old man is 'suspected of belonging to a criminal network dedicated to the crime of facilitating illegal immigration'; he was handed over to Morocco, which had issued an international arrest warrant.
Suspected of facilitating the entry of illegal immigrants into Spain via freight lorries, he could face up to 20 years' imprisonment.
The detainee is suspected of being part of a network that, in exchange for large sums of money and using heavy goods vehicles, facilitated and smuggled illegal immigrants into Spain.
The case involved 30 counts of people trafficking, as well as offences of assisting illegal immigration, criminal association for assisting illegal immigration and money laundering.
A 2025 review for the metropolitan area reveals that 5,394 foreigners were subject to checks.
Authorities have arrested two individuals at Lisbon Airport for allegedly being involved in human trafficking and assisting illegal immigration activities.
The “Portugal Always Safe” operation inspected 2,228 foreigners over three days, of which 30 were found to be in an illegal situation in the country, according to provisional data released today by the Internal Security System (SSI).
Authorities involved in the operations also recorded 528 violations, of which 64% were road-related, including 20% related to alcohol.
The “Portugal Always Safe” operation inspected 2,228 foreigners over three days, of which 30 were found to be in an illegal situation in the country, according to provisional data released on Tuesday by the Internal Security System (SSI). In a statement, the SSI added that between November 26 and 29, the operation, which involves various police and entities ...
In a three-day operation named “Portugal Always Safe”, authorities inspected 2,228 foreign individuals and discovered 30 who were residing illegally in the country.
Timorese and Indonesians lived crammed in houses, sometimes not even being paid and only resting for 15 minutes during a workday in the fields.
The two individuals “managed companies used to issue false employment contracts and other documents intended to allow Indian citizens to register on the SEF platform.”
Suspects allegedly created false contracts for foreign citizens to regularise their status with Portuguese immigration services.
