In the past six years, Portugal has seen a sharp rise in demand for citizenship, with over 1.4 million requests recorded. This surge in applications was addressed during a procedural hearing by Minister of Justice Secretary Maria Jose Barros, who expressed concerns about the increasing number of citizenship requests, Schengen.News reports.
Delays in Citizenship Application Processing
Barros also highlighted the ongoing difficulties with the platform introduced by the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) in 2024, which was designed to streamline the citizenship application process. Despite its intended purpose to expedite responses, the platform has not significantly improved processing times, as urgent applications filed in late October 2024 are still being handled.
Understaffing as a Major Issue
The government has attributed the delays in processing nearly 500,000 citizenship applications to a shortage of qualified professionals. The situation at the Lisbon Central Registry Office has become a notable example of the strain on the system, with long lines of applicants starting to gather at 5 a.m. for a chance to be served. The office only issues 60 service tickets per day, and these often run out within minutes of opening.
The Registry Notary Workers Union has also voiced its concerns, revealing that the authorities responsible for processing applications are operating with 34% fewer staff than required to handle the volume of requests effectively.
Staff’s Commitment Amid Challenges
Workers at the registry office, such as Fabio Silva, have spoken about the extreme pressure they face. Silva shared that he starts work early at 5 a.m. to ensure applicants are served, reflecting the challenges in meeting the growing demand for citizenship services.
