Portugal / Supreme Administrative Court / Judgment No. 11/2024

A.A. v Ministry of Internal Affairs and Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum
Deciding body type
National Court/Tribunal
Type
Decision
Decision date
06/06/2024
  • Portugal / Supreme Administrative Court / Judgment No. 11/2024

    Key facts of the case:

    The applicant, having legally entered Portuguese territory, submitted a residence permit application to the Foreigners and Borders Service on May 5 2020, under Article 88(2) of Law 23/2007, according to which a decision on residence permit applications had to be issued within 90 days. Despite repeated requests and the submission of additional documentation, the Foreigners and Borders Service failed to issue a decision. In the meantime, Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum was replaced by the Foreigners and Borders Service. After thirty-three months passed, the applicant lodged an injunction to protect rights, liberties and guarantees before the Lisbon Administrative Court (thus the injunction was filed firstly against the Ministry of Internal Affairs), requesting that a decision on the residence permit be issued or, failing to do so within the legal deadline, to declare the request tacitly granted.

    The injuction to protect rights, liberties and guarantees is an application for the defence of citizens' legally protected rights and interests in the face of actions by the public administration, intending to obtain decisions imposing on the administration the adoption of positive or negative conduct that proves indispensable to ensure the timely exercise of a right, liberty or guarantee. 

    The Administrative Court dismissed the injuction on the grounds that the plaintiff had used an inadequate procedural form to assert his claim, meaning that the requeriments to lodge an injuction were not meet. The applicant appealed before the  Administrative Appeal Court which dismissed the appeal. The applicant lodged a review appeal before the Supreme Administrative Court, arguing that the contested decision violated the right to judicial protection, benefiting the defendant instituion who assumed a position of inertia and irresponsibility, thus violating not only principles enshrined in the Constitution but also fundamental rights laid down in the Charter and other national and European legal instruments. 

    Key legal question raised by the Court:

    The key legal question was whether the procedural remedy of ‘injunction for the protection of rights, liberties and guarantees’ had been appropriate under Articles 109 to 111 of the Administrative Courts Procedure Code. Alternatively, the case dealt with the issue of whether this procedure is inapplicable in such cases requiring instead the initiation of an administrative action and the provisional granting of a residence permit as a precautionary measure. 

    Outcome of the case: 

    With regard to the alternative of administrative action and the provisional granting of a residence permit as a precautionary measure, the Court explained that the urgency, in this case, is not precautionary but rather the need for a prompt decision on the merits of the application. A provisional residence permit, while providing some temporary relief, is insufficient to safeguard the applicant's fundamental rights. Such a permit can be revoked at any time, lacking the stability and predictability necessary for long-term planning. Only a temporary residence permit can provide a secure and stable foundation for the applicant's stay in Portugal, as outlined in Article 80(1)(a) of Law 23/2007. This stability is essential for foreign nationals to establish their lives.

    The Court also clarified that administrative remedies had been insufficient as only a judicial ruling could effectively address the applicant's rights, given the significant delay in processing of the residence permit application, which was submitted over four years ago, the appropriate remedy is a judicial mean to compel the defendant institution to issue a decision. The 90-day legal deadline for such decisions (under Article 82(1) of Law 23/2007) had been grossly exceeded. 

    The Court considered that the injunction for the protection of rights, liberties and guarantees ensures the primary, urgent and summary protection of rights, freedoms and guarantees that are being violated in those situations in which the swift delivery of a decision committing the administration (or private individuals) to adopt a positive or negative behaviour proves indispensable to safeguard the timely exercise of a right, freedom or guarantee. Therefore, the injunction for the protection of rights, liberties and guarantees is the procedural means that can be mobilised when the swift issuance of a decision on the merits that requires the Administration to adopt a positive or negative course of action proves indispensable to ensure the timely exercise of a right, freedom or guarantee, because it is not possible or sufficient, in the circumstances of the case, to order a precautionary measure.

    The Court held that the applicant benefits from multi-level protection of fundamental rights, and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Articles 7, 15 and 41) and the European Convention on Human Rights (Articles 6 and 14) apply to him. Thus, despite the significant passage of time since the application was submitted on 5 May 2020, the urgency of issuing a decision on the merits of the residence permit application remains paramount. The prolonged stay of an undocumented foreign national in Portuguese territory, due to circumstances beyond their control and attributable to the responsible government agencies, is incompatible with the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution and international treaties. 

    Therefore, the judgement under appeal was annulled as it erred in law, and the case should proceed as an injuction for the protection of rights, liberties and guarantees, in accordance with the provisions of Article 110 and following of the Administrative Courts Procedure Code, and the case file should be sent back to the first Instance. 

  • Paragraphs referring to EU Charter

    In this regard, the case law handed down by the Supreme Administrative Court in its ruling of 11/09/2019 in case 1899/18.0BELSB, in the context of an injuction for the protection of rights, liberties and guarantees, instituted to obtain a residence permit, in which the applicable wording of Article 88(2) of Law 23/07, 4 July, was discussed (whether the one resulting from Law 29/2012, 9 August, or Law 59/17, 31 July), this high court ended up expressing a favourable judgement on the adequacy of Article 88(2) of Law 23/07, 4 July). This high court gave a favourable judgement on the suitability of this procedural means to force the public administration to issue the residence permit, writing: ‘In view of all the above, and considering the provisions of Articles 679 and 665 of the Civil Procedure Code, applicable ex vi of Articles 1 and 140 of the Administrative Courts Procedure Code, the case file should be sent back to the Court of Appeal for consideration and decision on injuction for the protection of rights, freedoms and guarantees. It should be emphasised that workers from third countries in a regular situation and, to a lesser extent, those in an irregular situation, benefit from multi-level protection in terms of fundamental rights. Thus, in addition to national legislation, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights apply to them. ...

    The applicant benefits from multi-level protection in terms of fundamental rights, as the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (Articles 7, 15 and 41) and the European Convention on Human Rights (Articles 6 and 14) apply to him. In this sense, the Supreme Administrative Court judgement of 11 September 2019 stated that ‘workers from third countries in a regular situation and, to a lesser extent, those in an irregular situation, benefit from multi-level protection with regard to fundamental rights. Thus, in addition to national legislation, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights apply to them.

  • Paragraphs referring to EU Charter (original language)

    «Neste sentido aponta a jurisprudência expendida pelo STA, no seu Acórdão de 11/09/2019, proferido no processo 1899/18.0BELSB, no qual, no âmbito de um processo de intimação para proteção de direitos, liberdades e garantias, instaurado para obtenção de uma autorização de residência, em que se discutia qual a redação aplicável do n.º 2 do artigo 88.º da Lei n.º 23/07 (se a resultante da Lei n.º 29/2012, de 09.08, ou da Lei n.º 59/17, de 31.07), esta alta instância, acabou por expressar um juízo favorável sobre a adequação desse meio processual para efeitos de obrigar a Administração à emissão da autorização de residência, ao escrever: "Em face de todo o exposto, e considerando o disposto nos artigos 679.º e 665.º do CPC, aplicáveis ex vi dos artigos 1.º e 140.º do CPTA, devem os autos baixar ao TCAS para apreciação e decisão da presente intimação para proteção de direitos, liberdades e garantias. Cabe sublinhar que os trabalhadores oriundos de países terceiros em situação regular e, em menor escala, os que se encontram em situação irregular, beneficiam de uma proteção multinível no que respeita aos direitos fundamentais. Assim, além da legislação nacional, é-lhes aplicada, designadamente e nos termos nelas previstos, a Carta dos Direitos Fundamentais da União Europeia e a Convenção Europeia dos Direitos Humanos. [...] ".» 

    «O recorrente beneficia de uma proteção multinível relativamente a direitos fundamentais, sendo-lhe aplicável a carta dos Direitos Fundamentais da União Europeia (artigos 7.º, 15.º e 41.º) e a Convenção Europeia dos Direitos Humanos (artigos 6.º e 14.º). Nesse sentido, escreveu-se no Ac. do STA, de 11.09.2019 que "os trabalhadores oriundos de países terceiros em situação regular e, em menor escala, os que se encontram em situação irregular, beneficiam de uma proteção multinível no que respeita aos direitos fundamentais. Assim, além da legislação nacional, é-lhes aplicada, designadamente e nos termos nelas previstos, a Carta dos Direitos Fundamentais da União Europeia e a Convenção Europeia dos Direitos Humanos".»