A new competition for the creation of a Temporary Reception Center for Refugees has been opened in Lisbon.

This Tuesday, the Lisbon City Council approved the opening of a competition to find a new organization that will guarantee the operation of the Center for the Temporary Reception of Refugees (CATR), supporting up to 84 beneficiaries, with 160 thousand euros until 2025.

“It is necessary and imperative to support the CATR response within the framework of the Municipal Program for the Reception of Refugees of the City of Lisbon (PMAR Lx). To this end, it is necessary to resort to a new competitive procedure that guarantees, as soon as possible, the selection of the partner organization with the best project, which must meet the expectations of both the Municipality of Lisbon and the expectations of the beneficiaries,” says the proposal presented by the Human Rights Adviser and social rights by Sofia Ataide (PSD).

The proposal was unanimously approved at a closed meeting of the Lisbon executive chaired by Social Democrat Carlos Moedas, an official source at the municipality said.

As of 2022, the management of CATR was transferred to Portugal’s Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), which informed the Lisbon City Council that it did not wish to renew the program’s contract.

“JRS Portugal remained in CATR until November 28, 2023 and from that date they have been using the services of DDS (Department of Sports and Health) / DCJ (Department of Culture and Youth) in collaboration with the Crescer na Maior Association, guaranteeing and ensuring the transition of all beneficiaries to temporary autonomous housing, which in this context will now be controlled by the Crescer na Maior Association,” explains the document to which the Lusa agency had access.

The proposal defines the opening of a new competitive procedure for the allocation of financial support for a project within the Municipal Program for the Reception of Refugees of the City of Lisbon (PMAR Lx) to “receive, monitor and integrate refugees into the CATR for 12 months, covering a total of up to 84 applicants for international protection.”

In this context, expenses and transfers of funds are allowed “up to a limit of 160 thousand euros”, an amount that will be divided between 2024 (130 thousand euros) and 2025 (30 thousand euros), according to the approved plan. offer.

The PMAR Lx program allows for two years of life design support to be provided across different intervention areas, “consisting of a first intake phase, a second monitoring phase and finally a third integration phase. “.

The agenda of the closed meeting of the municipal executive also included a proposal for the restoration and revitalization of Tapada das Necessidades, but this proposal was again postponed.