Africa-Press – Angola. Dozens of immigrants, mostly Angolans, have been waiting for days for their documents to be validated at the General Directorate of Consular Affairs in Lisbon, near which several people have been sleeping on the street, on top of cards, to ensure they are served.
Tired and looking exhausted, some with pillows under their arms, as Lusa found on site this Wednesday, these immigrants improvise lists and wait in the garden in front of that service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which has been serving around 60 people per day.
They bring papers to validate, as part of the legalization process, which now requires a criminal record for the renewal of the residence permit and stay in Portugal.
Faustino, a 49-year-old Angolan who has lived in Portugal since 2024, needs to have his documents validated by Tuesday, according to a notification from AIMA, which he received last week.
This is the third day he has been to Largo das Necessidades and, when he came across dozens of people waiting, he said he was afraid he would not be served this Wednesday.
He left Angola to “improve his life” and chose Portugal to work, which he managed to do easily, in a factory. He told Lusa that he expected it to be easier, especially in terms of housing.
Azarias, a 25-year-old Angolan immigrant who got a job a few weeks after arriving in Portugal last year, has the same complaint.
At the end of the waiting line, he said that this is the second day that he has tried to validate his criminal record, but he remains hopeful, as he still has a few days to do so.
Although the dream of owning a home seems increasingly distant, he said that the future involves continuing to live in Portugal.
The difficulties do not stop Rosalina, 54, from continuing to live in Portugal, nor from waiting to be seen to, which has led her to sleep on the floor, on top of a cardboard box, for the last two nights.
He came from outside, from Portalegre, like other immigrants who live in various parts of the country and are waiting to be seen there.
This Angolan woman has been living in Portugal for two years, where her two youngest daughters also live. “Angolans like to work, so they can find work,” she said.
Milena, 26, has been in Portugal for a year to study, but she plans to return to her home country of Angola. Her studies are going well, but like other compatriots, she complains about the difficulties in finding accommodation. This Wednesday, her complaints are mainly about the bureaucracy involved in renewing her residence permit and the wait, since before lunch she was 141 people ahead of her.
For the third day, Núria, 34 years old, has been waiting to be seen, but this Wednesday she is pleased with the fact that the service is faster, which will have contributed to the increase in staff.
And also with the understanding of the boss, which does not happen with many of those who have to stay there for hours and days, away from the workplace.
The Angolan woman also complains about the price of houses, but her life plan involves staying in Portugal.
These immigrants at the General Directorate of Consular Affairs are mostly Angolans because the Angolan consular services in Portugal do not provide this service, unlike what happens with other diplomatic representations.
One of the reasons why the waiting list has grown substantially in recent days is the transition to the next day of those who cannot be seen.
Many people with small children or other priority reasons also go to the front, leaving the line immobile for several periods.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extended its opening hours on Tuesday, which have since closed at 4:00 pm instead of 3:00 pm, in addition to reinforcing the service with more human resources in attendance.
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