Brazilians “deceived” by “influencers” who promote the promotion “Portugal: Bar Association advances to the courts”
Thousands of immigrants arrive in the country as tourists, but they want to stay. Learn on social media how to do it and get to pay for help. However, there are those who deceive and services for which it is not enabled. These will be action targets. Purpose is to close pages on social networks
Thousands of Brazilians are learning on Youtube, but also on Facebook, Instagram or Tik Tok, how to immigrate to Portugal as a tourist and then manage to stay in the country. Many of these channels are designed by people who teach them everything they should do – and say. But it also supports legal advice services for which they are not entitled. That is, you will be committing a crime called “illicit prosecutor”. The Lisbon Regional Council of the Portuguese Bar Association (CRLisboa) will take legal action against these situations.
Speaking to TVI/CN Portugal, João MassaI/CNN Portugal, João Massano, explains that the entity “has to follow the aggravated situation – which tends to worsen – the president decided as all the measures projected and why to adopt this proposal , through the increased use of means of maintaining nature, the contracting of pages, profiles and accounts on social networks in which such services are offered”. And so it will follow “with precautionary measures for this purpose”.
This week, a report by TVI/CNN Portugal revealed how everything works, using videos, some made by professionals, others by amateurs. The SEF then explained that the issue was crime of aiding illegal and that the case was being sent by the Public Ministry. The SEF also made public that it was carrying out an investigation, without revealing the YouTube channels it was targeting as well.
Faced with more and more complaints, the Lisbon Regional Council of the Portuguese Bar Association is concerned about “the exponential growth of a new form of illicit prosecution, which hides in pages and profiles of incoming networks, supporting foreign citizens in Portugal, followed by by thousands of users”, adds John Massano.
The lawyer considers that “in a situation it is of urgency and seriousness, so the Lisbon Regional Council will go to urgent urgent means, requesting the due protection of a precautionary measure”“The injunction aims to obtain a court decision that determines the withdrawal from social networks of all publications of consultation services or legal advice to support the entry of foreign citizens in Portugal, by those who do not have the qualifications to provide them with assistance. ”.
There are Brazilians deceived and those who earn a lot of money offering services
The issue is not in the citizens who use a formula, but who earns in supposedly helps them, cheats, money with it and performs functions for those who are not qualified, guarantees João Massano.
“The complaints that reach us are from lawyers and the existence of various supports such as pages, profiles, links and accounts on the various social networks (name, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok) where known ‘influencers’ of these media announce an offer of ‘advisory’ services, often advertised as miracle solutions, for example, immigration confirmations, in Portugal, with visible entry to those who are visible to Brazilian citizens.
“In these publications, all types of services from public bodies are offered to resolve services and other publications, in accordance with the legislation, as is the case of the Portuguese Tax Number Advisory and other official documents, even in obtaining visas. or nationality”, he concludes. Now, these are functions that only professions are qualified to carry out. Some live in Portugal, others in Brazil and there are cases where the address is unknown.
“When I bought her services I didn’t know they were private lawyer services”
Sylvio Pereira Junior is a lawyer and is doing a Masters at a university in Portugal. Arrived in October 2021.
“Before coming to Portugal, I took a course from one of those ‘influencers’ who has a channel. She sells a preparatory course for anyone interested in studying or living in Portugal. I bought this course from her in July of last year. There are several ‘lives’ and written material that she offers how to come, the various types of visas”, she tells TVI/CNN Portugal.
In fact, it ended up doing “the entire process with the university on its own, without its help”, confesses. But he paid four thousand reais for the course – around 800 euros.
“My interest was to come to study, but I had the possibility of coming as a retiree, with a D7 visa. I asked if it was better for me for a student or a retiree visa and she induced me to come as a retiree”, she recalls.
As it is called in Brazil, or D7 – nomenclature used in Portugal -, that people with income, who do not need to work, can come to live in the country.
After the course, Sylvio Pereira Junior has no doubts: “She induces people to apply for the visa she wants, because she sells other products added to the course. She sells the service to get your NIF here in Portugal. That on the outside. To open an account in a Portuguese bank. She sells these services and she charges out of pocket. She arranges things for you to buy or buy and she charges for it. She induces her to come as she wants so that she can sell these other products of hers”.
While he was in Brazil he didn’t notice anything. “When I bought her services I didn’t know they were private lawyer services. I only found out when I arrived in Lisbon. I signed up here at the Bar Association and, then, I found out that several services she offered, she couldn’t offer because she wasn’t a lawyer”. That’s when you make a complaint happen.
After the Master’s, Sylvio Pereira Junior will do a PhD. What he will do next, you will soon see.
“At the time there were no such influencers”
Camila has been in Portugal for three years and has hired legal advice. “At the time there were no such ‘influencers’”, she tells TVI / CNN Portugal. She was an ordinary Brazilian, who had lived in Portugal for many years and who claimed to have an advisory company. “She wasn’t known, nor were there so many people doing it,” she recalls.
Paid for various services, received by help. But renting a house went wrong:
“We paid 1300 euros in rent and security, but she never gave us the contract and always made excuses.”
When they arrived, the person convinced Camila to share a house with a friend: “He said it was easier to adapt”. When he asked for the return of the amount paid for the house, “he did not return it”.
They still thought about going to the police, but they disclosed it without revealing it. It is later that the person concerned got the money. The landlord of the house in question was also counting on the money and never received it. “You fooled them both,” he exclaims.
You don’t know if this person is still active, but now Camila knows “who was not a lawyer and was not qualified to do what she did”.
Brazil and Portugal work side by side and institutional campaigns will be launched
In addition to taking legal action to try to close these channels on the networks, it is also necessary to show the social path to those who want to go to the Atlantic and live in Portugal. And it is essential that all this is done legally and by those who are qualified to do so.
“CRLisboa, in partnership with the Institute of Registries and Notaries (IRN) will organize conferences on the subject of nationality and visas, starting in September. These conferences will be held, for example, on Youtube and with them we intend to alert to the risks of ‘legalization’ made by those who are not competent and to some fraudulent schemes announced on social networks”, Massano advances.
That is, using the same means, such as social networks, the process will be explained in a simple and legal way. Including who can and cannot help in this process.
This fight against the “illicit prosecution” will have the support and collaboration of the Brazilian Bar Association – São Paulo Section (OABSP). Atlantic international contacts have the OABSP International Relations Commission guaranteed to the Lisbon Regional Council in combating this permanent practice that the two oldest children are the greatest Brazilians who, in the expectation of hiring a credible service, remain deceived”.
Media alert
The seriousness of the situation is clear and so is the growth of the phenomenon. For this reason, the Lisbon Regional Council of the Portuguese Bar Association decided to send a statement to the media, where it explains that “in recent months, CRLisboa has been confronted with several reports from Lawyers that account of the growing publicity by known ‘influencers’ ‘ of the most frequented social networks”.
Publications examples covering ‘assessments that are important to citizens’ services, often designated as solutions, for thousands of times of entry (or illegal, in Portugal, with visible to groups that are important to citizens), if no document.
And these situations are even more serious “due to the prominence and scope that these pages are recognized, and because in a large number of cases, these services of ‘advice to legalized entry’ in Portugal are covered by resources for legal consultation”, in addition to they are “provided by those who are not legally and technically qualified for the purpose”, continues CRLisboa.
That is, that is, that the practice of other entities is not allowed, that is, a crime that is allowed by other entities, that is, that it is legally authorized by other entities, that is, that it is capable of altering in force, and that can be substantiated by other entities, that is, that the restriction of force is not allowed, being able to be substantiated by other entities, is granted. That still leaves an appeal for these pages not to be used, as they use it to their advantage, as a way of giving them credibility.