The Portuguese citizenship processes requested by Brazilians skyrocketed and are concentrated in the registry offices of Portugal. Alleged delay in completion, lack of information and data conflict during the process have been the main complaints made by those who submitted requests.
Portuguese trader António Henriques said that he and his 17-year-old Brazilian son applied at the consulate in São Paulo almost a year and a half ago. Misinformation in communication between the Portuguese bodies and the consular post, according to him, created an obstacle.
— The process was finalized in Portugal in February. On the consulate's website, it does not appear that this was done, which makes my son's Portuguese citizen card (identity) and passport unviable - said Henriques.
The trader says that eight emails were not answered by the consulate. It also sent complaints to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Central Registry Office. He stated that after this procedure he got a response from the deputy consul general in São Paulo, but without specific content on citizenship. This week, he finally assured that he had received reassuring consular guidance.
— They informed that the process can continue and that I must schedule on the new website. And that the old man's information does not make it unfeasible. I can move forward with the documentation procedure for my Brazilian son – assured Henriques.
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The Portuguese jurist Isabel Grilo Comte explained to Portugal Giro that the consulates only forward the processes to the conservatories (registries) of Portugal. This procedure may delay or speed up the process. It all depends on factors such as characteristics and volume of orders and human resources on both sides.
— In addition to being just an intermediary in the request that is sent to the registry office, it does not analyze the same with regard, for example, to the documents and the establishment of filiation in the minority — said Comte.
Disagreements in the processes have been common. A gap that the regularization of the nationality law promises to fill with the standardization of procedures and greater digital agility to reduce waiting times.
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After managing to take citizenship away from part of the family before the requests skyrocketed in recent years, a Brazilian, who lives between Brazil and Portugal and asked not to be identified because he says he works with the Portuguese government, said that the other processes have stalled.
— Processes that used to last eight to 12 months now last, on average, 18 to 26 months. I have two processes, one of my sister-in-law, which does not even appear in the system, and my wife's brother-in-law, which appeared in the query system after six months and has not even entered the analysis phase - guaranteed the Brazilian.
The misadventures in search of a Portuguese passport are not new, as Tiago Fernandes said, who got citizenship about six years ago.
— I am the grandson and son of Portuguese who migrated to Rio de Janeiro and, at the age of 28, I decided to apply for nationality. I applied to the Portuguese vice-consulate in Ceará. The process took almost seven years and was marked by a lack of information and communication - said Fernandes.
On the other hand, there are Brazilians who claim to have achieved citizenship without obstacles and in a period of between 12 months and two years.
Sought after, the consulate of São Paulo and the Ministry of Justice have not yet responded.
By Gian Amato
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