Portugal abolishes scandal-ridden border service

Portugal's border service, steeped in scandal after a Ukrainian man was beaten to death while in its custody at Lisbon airport, will be abolished on Thursday, the government said. Ihor Homeniuk died at the airport's detention facility in March 2020 after arriving without the right documentation and refusing to board a deportation flight. Three officers were charged with his murder, but pleaded not guilty in their trial which began in February. Rights advocates say Homeniuk's case exposed a record of abuse within the SEF border agency, and some see its abolition as an attempt to stave off mounting criticism of the authorities after the incident. The government said SEF's functions, such as border checks and human trafficking investigations, will be divided between other police forces, while a new administrative body, the Asylum and Foreigners Service (SEA), has been created.<br/>