On the same day that Portugal’s border authorities warned that the closing of borders in other countries may bring more refugees to Portugal (click here), Portimão council confirmed its willingness to welcome part of the country’s refugee quota.
The decision follows a motion presented by the Left Bloc (BE) unanimously approved by the local council on Wednesday (September 16)
Cited by Lusa news agency, the municipality says it “wants to be part of the solution” and calls on the Algarve Municipalities Association (AMAL) to work towards offering support across the region to incoming refugees.
Portimão hopes the initiative will show the town’s “generous and sympathetic spirit”, as part of a larger refugee-welcoming strategy including other institutions such as the government.
How many refugees the council is willing to take and whether it is depending on outside funding to help cover the costs has not been discussed.
