César Teixeira will become the new president of AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum, this year. Presidency Minister Leitão Amaro announced the change on Wednesday, saying Portugal had entered a new phase of migration management.

Teixeira is already a member of the agency’s governing board. He will replace Pedro Portugal Gaspar, whose work the minister praised during a hearing before the parliamentary constitutional affairs committee.

Government Points to New Priorities

Leitão Amaro said the government and Gaspar had reviewed the first phase of migration policy management. That phase included addressing pending cases and making legal changes.

The minister described the results as very positive and said the government had shown strong confidence in Gaspar’s work. However, he said a new phase required different priorities, presenting the leadership change as a move that maintained continuity.

Leitão Amaro said the government expected Gaspar to take on other duties, without confirming which role. Chega MP Vanessa Barata had raised the possibility of a role at the Competition Authority, noting that Gaspar was due to be heard in connection with it. The minister said his future duties would not necessarily be those she mentioned.

Union Calls for Answers and Better Working Conditions

The Migration Technicians’ Union (STM) congratulated Teixeira on his selection and recognised his professional record. It expressed hope that the change would bring more stable, organised and predictable management.

However, the union said a new president would not resolve serious problems involving procedures, planning, staffing and contact with the ministry overseeing AIMA.

In a statement sent to the media, STM president Manuela Niza Ribeiro said the union would closely monitor decisions, changes and failures to act.

The union said workers had faced impossible demands. It also criticised accumulated complaints, ignored meeting requests, a lack of formal replies and what it described as institutional disrespect towards AIMA staff.

STM called for transparent, regular communication, a dedicated career structure for migration technicians and a pay supplement equivalent to those of the GNR and PSP.

Source: ECO: “César Teixeira será o novo presidente da AIMA”, published 7 Oct 2026.