Five government ministries are said to be working hard to pave the way into Portugal for the 1,500 migrant refugees due to arrive within the next two years.
According to sources at the interior ministry, no migrants are expected before October, but after this date the influx will begin – with a contingency plan to “halt abnormal migrant flux” already described as put into place by police.
Diário de Notícias reports that for now the government is waiting to hear from Brussels as to the migrants “profile” – what kind of people Portugal will be receiving.
Once this has been established, the internal ministry can “adapt logistical organisation and make the necessary resources available”.
The ministry will thus be working closely with employment and social services counterparts, as well as the health, education and foreign affairs ministries.
As has been repeatedly stated in the press, Portugal is one of the countries considered least attractive to migrants – largely due to the lack of career opportunities.
But as the high commissioner for migration Pedro Calado has explained, migrants could be just what Portugal needs to recover falling birthrates and lack of labour (see Migrants could be part of Portugal’s solution, claims high commissioner).
The migrants coming to Portugal are those currently installed in centres in Greece and Italy, writes DN.
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