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The Ombudsperson has been monitoring the issue of citizen services in public services. Approximately a year and a half after the publication of the thematic report, and based on its 25 recommendations, the Ombudsperson’s Office has completed a Follow-up Report, published today, 14 October 2025. It addresses the same broad areas analysed in 2023, namely information for citizens, waiting times,…
On 25 September, the Ombudsperson held the award ceremony for the “The Future of Rights is Now” competition, followed by the opening of an exhibition of the entries. The competition was aimed at children and young people aged between 6 and 18, challenging them to represent their vision of human rights through art. A total of 123 entries were received,…
The Deputy Ombudsperson, Estrela Chaby, was received in audience by the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, Rights, Freedoms and Guarantees on 17 September to present the Activity Reports for the year 2024. The recording of the hearing is available here.
The Ombudsman has sent an official letter to the Secretary of State for Housing, highlighting serious irregularities in both the framework and the implementation of the extraordinary rent support scheme, and calling for its urgent revision. This initiative follows a significant volume of complaints revealing systemic failures, some of which had already been flagged in the last two annual reports…
On 18 July, the Ministry of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security informed the Ombudsperson of its “full acceptance” of Recommendation No. 2/B/2025 of 7 May, which called for the correction of irregular practices by Social Security when demanding the repayment of unduly processed social benefits, as well as a review of the respective legal regime. These are practices that have…
The 2024 Report of the Ombudsman, delivered today to the Portuguese Parliament, follows the structure adopted in recent years, with distinct sections dedicated to cross-cutting issues, a selection of topics analysed throughout the year, and information regarding the Ombudsman’s activity as the National Human Rights Institution. This year, poverty is the cross-cutting theme presented, both as a serious and persistent…
The Ombudsman has published a Thematic Report on noise control which identifies the main problems found and presents a set of recommendations on an issue which, despite its significant impact on public health and quality of life in Portugal, is often undervalued by the public authorities, which contributes to a certain lack of civic awareness of the issue. Under the…
The Ombudsperson’s Office has suggested that the National Directorate of the Public Security Police (PSP) improve practices in the planning of police operations, in order to guarantee the predictability, rationality and proportionality of police action. The Ombudsman’s intervention followed the analysis of complaints about a police operation in December 2024. The suggestions result from the attention given to the requirements…
The National Preventive Mechanism against Torture (NPM) participated in the 3rd National Meeting on Specialized and Therapeutic Care, held on May 9 in Figueira da Foz. The event provided an opportunity to share experiences and reflect on the challenges involved in the care of children and young people with specific needs. Among other sessions, it featured the presentation of a…
