The extinction of the Foreigners and Borders Service (Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras – SEF) on 29 October 2023 and the subsequent transfer of its responsibilities for managing immigration and asylum procedures to the newly established Agency for Integration, Migration, and Asylum (Agência para a Integração, Migrações e Asilo – AIMA), marked a significant shift in Portugal’s migration policy. This institutional reform represents the culmination of a process aimed at de-securitising the state’s approach to international migration by distinctly separating migration management from internal security considerations. From October 2023 onwards, the management of migratory flows is no longer a police function, with the documentation of immigrants being entrusted to a purely administrative agency. To comprehend the implications of this reform, it is essential to examine both the evolution of Portuguese immigration policy and the unique characteristics of SEF. The first section of this article explores the general evolution of immigration policy in Portugal, characterised by the country’s transformation in the 1990s into a significant destination for diverse migratory flows. The second section provides an overview of the now defunct Immigration and Borders Service. Finally, the article discusses the rationale behind its dissolution and the replacement of its functions in immigration and asylum management by an administrative (non-police) agency that has also inherited the integration and anti discrimination responsibilities of the High Commission for Migration.