Serviço de Migração de Timor-Leste
The Serviço de Migração de Timor-Leste (Portuguese, formerly Departamento de Migração ), or Servisu Migrasaun Timor-Leste ( tetum ) is the immigration authority of East Timor . General director is Superintendente Polísia Agostinho Gomes (as of 2020).
Overview
The service was founded in its current form at the beginning of 2003 as a department (Departamento) of the National Police of East Timor (PNTL). In August 2008, Law 31/2008 was outsourced as an independent service subordinate to the Ministry of Defense .
The service has around a hundred employees and is responsible for civil immigration control at all border crossings, airports and ports. He decides on the issue of visas on arrival and processes applications for additional visas that are issued to people after arrival in East Timor in cooperation with the Department of Consular Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The service is also responsible for administering other functions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 2003 (LIA), including registration of aliens and statutory enforcement powers under its provisions.
history
After the Indonesian occupation had withdrawn, the United Nations Interim Administration for East Timor (UNTAET) initially assumed responsibility for immigration control to East Timor. It was created with UNTAET Regulation No. 2000/9. After the independence of East Timor on May 20, 2002, the country took over the task itself with Law 4/2002 of November 12, 2002 and assigned it to the National Police. The responsibility was assumed in three steps. On January 13, 2003 at Presidente Nicolau Lobato Airport ( Dili ), on January 21 for visas at Baucau Airport and the port of Dili and on March 1 for the border crossings to Indonesia. Between January 13 and October 15, 2003, the immigration regulations were subject to a combination of two pieces of legislation, UNTAET Regulation 2000/9 and Law 4/2002, until the necessary PNTL and immigration and asylum laws came into force .
Legal background
On October 15, 2003, the Immigration and Asylum Act (Act 9/2003, LIA) was passed. According to Article 2 Number 2 of Law 8/2004, the National Police were responsible for monitoring borders by controlling the movement of people and goods in consultation with other authorities and ensuring compliance with the procedures for entry, residence, departure and expulsion of foreigners from the territory. The tasks of the then Departamento de Migração were defined in Article 20 of the Police Act:
- Control of the entry, stay and exit of foreign nationals into the territory
- Visa issuance in accordance with the law
- Implementation of family reunions
- Execution of expulsions of foreign citizens
- other tasks in the context of the mission
Indonesia and East Timor signed an agreement on traditional border crossings and regulated markets in Dili on February 29, 2000. In addition, the National Parliament of East Timor passed Parliament resolution 21/2009 on May 28, 2009.
