Council accuses immigration authorities

The Council of the Portuguese Communities has accused the immigration department of taking too long to process local ID requests and of being excessively bureaucratic. In a letter sent to the Portuguese Consul, Vítor Sereno, a representative from the advisory body for Lisbon’s government policies on immigration and Portuguese communities abroad claimed that some requests for documents violate privacy laws. “[Authorities] have been requesting bank statements in order to verify banking movements and [have been] requesting salaries superior to MOP25,000, a value that we consider extremely high,” the letter reads.  The council, chaired by lawmaker Pereira Coutinho, says that Vítor Sereno should debate the issues raised in the letter with local authorities.