| Nearly 17,000 Cape Verdeas have obtained electronic residency cards in Portugal | ||||
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Electronic residency cards began being issued in Portugal one year ago this week. Figures released by the Portuguese Foreigners and Border Service indicate that a total of 16,839 Cape Verdeans have already obtained electronic residency cards.
The only immigrant groups ahead of Cape Verdeans in the realm are Brazilians, who have obtained some 67,000 cards, and Ukrainians, with some 19,000. All told, Portugal has issued 151,369 electronic residency cards since the new format of the document was introduced, according to Portuguese news agency Lusa. Setúbal, Cascais and Lisbon/Tagus Valley were the Foreigners and Border Service offices that issued the largest numbers of cards – between 14,000 and 15,000 each. The Service believes that the introduction of the document, which is intended for citizens of countries outside of the European Union, “has strengthened the effectiveness” of document control procedures, as each card includes “biometric data” about its holder on a chip installed inside it. The “eliminates the possibility” of the card being used by an illegitimate holder, according to the Foreigners and Border Service, which highlights that the cards’ security mechanisms are equal to those of Portuguese national identity cards. In addition, the “simplification” of the process through which the cards may be obtained makes it easier for those requesting them. |
