Recognising the importance to have a coherent integration policy for immigrants, Portugal has created in 1996 a state service with the main mission of promoting the integration of immigrants and promoting the intercultural dialogue in Portugal: High Commission for Immigration and Ethnic Minorities (ACIME). To accomplish that mission, ACIME assure the participation and cooperation of representative immigrant associations, social partners and State Services in the definition and assessment of policies on immigrants’ social insertion and on prevention of exclusion and discrimination.

This state service, as a transversal intervention service, reports to the Prime-Minister. Hence, in Portugal immigrants’ integration is seen in a holist perspective, interlinking the different ministries, and not only as a labour market or security matter.

Since the first of June 2007, this state service became a Public Institute. In other words, the Portuguese State recognising the importance of this service to immigrants, reinforced ACIME powers and intervention. Since than a new institutional name was adopted: High Commission for Immigration and Intercultural Dialogue – ACIDI. 

The detailed activity reports are available at:  

For 2002-2005

http://www.acime.gov.pt/docs/Publicacoes/RelatorioActividades_ING/activity_report_short.pdf.

And for 2005-2006

http://www.acidi.gov.pt/docs/Publicacoes/Relatorio%20Actividades/RelatorioActividades2006.pdf