The mayor of Lisbon said this Wednesday that the reception center for immigrants at the Belem military hospital will be temporary and compatible with the support for older people in the future intergenerational center located in the monastery.
“One has nothing to do with the other, the building we are talking about has nothing to do with the building of the intergenerational center. Therefore, the question of whether to do it or not has nothing to do with this temporary center. [para imigrantes]and this temporary center is the option that the government has offered us,” said Carlos Moedas (PSD).
The mayor was speaking at a decentralized public meeting of the Lisbon City Council at the Carris Museum, dedicated to the parishes of Alcantara, Ajuda and Belem, after residents faced criticism of the government and municipality’s announced intention to install a reception area. center for immigrants at the military hospital of Belém in the parish of Ajuda.
“Most of the population of Ajuda are elderly, and there are no organizations that can meet the needs of these elderly people who have homes,” said António Cordeiro of the Casalinho da Ajuda Youth Academy, believing that if a center for immigrants is opened, the military hospital instead of a senior center and day care center, “families will be forced to place their beloved elderly people in homes outside the city.”
Citing the high cost of equipment for the elderly and kindergartens, the association leader called on the mayor to “reverse his decision to locate a center for refugees in a military hospital and return to the first path, which would have been to build a center.”
“The Intergenerational Center and the Rehabilitation or Continuing Care Hospital are important to the community,” affirmed Tania Ferreira of the Ajuda Residents Commission, adding that “these are two extremely important projects for the local community” and rejecting “the rhetoric about it.” “One does not make it impossible to install the other.
The resident recalled that candidate Carlos Moedas included in his election program the construction of four intergenerational centers, namely in Ajuda, but a year before the end of his term he does not see “the fulfillment of this promise.”
Moedas explained that “the city has a very difficult situation” with homeless immigrants awaiting legalization, and that it is necessary to show solidarity with this situation, as well as “with the Afghans who were in that very building” of the Belem military hospital, owned by the Ministry of Defense.
The installation of a “temporary” center for immigrants in this building will also create conditions for the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum (AIMA) and other services such as the Red Cross and the Santa Casa da Misericordia de Lisbon to “solve the problem The “problem” is serious and affects areas of the city such as Anyos or Arroios.
Vice President Filipe Anacoreta Correia (CDS-PP) emphasized that the project combined two buildings with an intergenerational component in the Boa Hora Monastery and a military hospital as a continuing care unit.
The mayor stressed that there are centers for older generations that do not have long-term care units, and that the project budget is 20 million euros, but this is after Santa Casa da Misericordia said it would not finance the equipment and the army refused to hand over the property. That is, I need to change the scale of the project or create financial conditions for its implementation.
Councilors João Ferreira (PCP), Ricardo Moreira (BE), Ines Drummond (PS) and Paula Marques (Citizens for Lisbon) noted the need for the population of Ajuda and Belém to have facilities such as an intergenerational center, and for the city to also solve problems homeless immigrants.
Opposition mayors also criticized the majority of members of the Novos Tempos coalition (SDP/CDS-PP/PPM/MPT/Alliance) for complaining about a lack of financial resources for important projects when the municipality decides to return part of the tax revenues it could use. Only some families with greater resources are eligible.
Ajuda Parish Council Chairman Jorge Marques (PS) regretted that the council’s executive director had not informed local authorities and the public of his intention and called on the parish to be involved in the decision on the future use of the Belém Military Hospital.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
I’m Sandra Hansen, a news website Author and Reporter for 24 News Reporters. I have over 7 years of experience in the journalism field, with an extensive background in politics and political science. My passion is to tell stories that are important to people around the globe and to engage readers with compelling content.