MNE promises in Cape Verde to speed up visa processes for Portugal
“I will not say that everything will change from today to tomorrow, but I am sure that over the next few months there will be a significant improvement in the management of visa processing”, stated João Gomes Cravinho, in Mindelo, on the island of São Vicente, at the beginning of a three-day visit to Cape Verde.
In joint statements with his Cape Verdean counterpart, Rui Figueiredo Soares, at the headquarters of the Ministry of the Sea, the head of Portuguese diplomacy was questioned about the Cape Verdean’s public complaints when submitting visas to Portugal.
“This pandemic is a real problem. [não só] in Cape Verde, but in several parts of the world, very big traffic jams in consular service and we are now looking at how to deal with this problem. Already to some initiatives, namely reinforcing the reinforcement team, consular, beginning, and the most recent months of the beginning of the month”, he announced.
The minister envisaged that it will be possible from July to “start to reduce the pressure a little” and “to respond to the will” of Cape Verdeans to travel.
“In addition to the current situation, we have ambitions for more, we have ambitions to facilitate more mobility between Cape Verde and Portugal, in part, this involves reducing bureaucratic complexity, which will also facilitate. this in mind,” he added.
The head of Portuguese diplomacy, who this afternoon also visited the Baptista de Sousa Hospital – which has been hosting several Portuguese cooperation projects, such as the hemodialysis center – recalled the data at the level of the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP). ), which during the agreement with the Cape Verdean to facilitate mobility between Member States, signed in July 201, in Luanda.
“An aspect that is in line with what is in agreement, in Portugal, whether it is now in line with the national proposals that are making the adjustment for the month of processing or the lighter ratio. de. So that’s coming soon” , said João Gomes Cravinho.
“It’s not a problem, it’s a set of questions. You don’t want problems because we have very positive aspects. A very positive aspect is this mobility. , our clarifications”, our clarifications.
He also highlighted the prospect of an improvement in the “damage situation” in recent months, with the exception of the covid-19 pandemic, preventing the increase in the number of Cape Verdeans traveling to Portugal until 2023: “A lower number of damages [dos pedidos de visto]therefore situations we cannot resolve, and a solution in which our populations.
“I have no doubt that in the coming months they will feel this difference,” he said.
Taking into account the archipelagic nature of the country – nine inhabited islands -, João Gomes Cravinho also said that “visits by consular teams” will be made again to Mindelo, Cape Verde’s second main city, “avoiding the need to travel to Beach” for these requests.
He also admitted that Cape Verdean students’ visa applications also face difficulties in the response by the consular services – which have already led to several protests and demonstrations in Praia -, a situation that he hopes will improve in the next school year.
“There is a time for this to be resolved, we are working on it. On the other hand, requests made not the day before they intend to go are important, with a visa in advance”, to be seen.
At the beginning of this visit to Cape Verde, which also includes a trip to the island of Santo António on Tuesday and meetings with the Prime Minister, Ulisses Correia e Silva, and with the President of the Republic, José Maria Neves, in Praia, on Wednesday On Monday, the Portuguese minister was faced with the recurring complaints of the population of São Vicente about the alleged high fares to the practices of TAP, which was recently the only airline to guarantee international connections to the island.
“Our objective is to make travel easier between Portugal and Cape Verde, but we are not the ones who set any price for TAP or any other airline”, Cravinho replied, admitting, however, that governments can “study how to create best conditions” for this operation.