The Face of Bureaucracy That Separates Families: AIMA Delayed, 19-Year-Old Youth Deported

Anyone you talk to who has to deal with AIMA, the immigration office in Portugal, complains about not being able to get an appointment and the silence that lasts for months. However, sometimes these bureaucratic bottlenecks not only delay paperwork, they can directly destroy young people's lives and family integrity.

The latest incident is a painful summary of this system deadlock. 19-year-old Kauê Matos, who came to Portugal with her family at the age of 17, went to school there and even won an Erasmus scholarship with her success, was deported to Brazil after being detained at Lisbon Airport for four days due to delays caused by AIMA itself.

A Life From Family Reunification to Deportation

The process actually started perfectly legal and smooth. The family applied for family reunification for their son, who was still underage at the time. By law, AIMA was required to respond to such requests within 90 business days. However, the institution did not respond for two years.

When the file was handled at the end of two years, Kauê was now 19 years old. So, since AIMA did not respond in time, the young man lost his right to family reunification, which is granted to minors, entirely due to the delay in administration.

There was only one option left: Student residence permit. However, AIMA closed the student permit application system via the online platform during this very period. The only way to get an appointment has become to apply to the court. Although the family, whose financial situation was not sufficient, tried to reach the institution by phone and e-mail, they could not overcome the wall.

Detention at the Erasmus Return Airport

Kauê, who continued his high school education in Figueira da Foz, went to Ireland for the Erasmus program due to his success in school. When he returned to Portugal on Sunday, the border police at Humberto Delgado Airport detained the young man on the grounds that he did not have a valid residence permit.

The young man, who was laid on a mattress in the international area of ​​the airport for four days and not even allowed to take a shower, was only contacted by phone with his family. The efforts of the lawyer hired at the last minute to obtain a stay order through the courts could not be concluded in time because the administrative courts were locked.

Although the immigration police delayed the flights and tried to hold the young man in the hope of a court decision, the bureaucracy could not keep up and Kauê was sent to Brazil last night. After four days, he is now with his grandmother in São Paulo, trying to survive the shock of being separated from his family.

The System Creates Its Own Irregularities

Between 1,000 and 1,500 immigration cases are filed with administrative courts every day. People have to file lawsuits just to make appointments with institutions.

In this incident, Kauê did not escape the system or disobey the rules. The state did not respond within the periods stipulated by its own laws and placed the young person under the age limit; Then they closed the application channels, did not offer appointment opportunities, and eventually deported him because he did not have documents. This victimization caused by bureaucracy unfortunately reveals once again the reality of immigration management in Portugal on the ground.

Source: Notícias ao Minuto (Natasha Donn, 6 August 2026)