The Chamber of Leiria has taken in more than 300 refugees from Ukraine since the start of the war in that country almost a year ago, providing support to those who ask for it, adviser Ana Valentim told Lusa news agency.
“The number that I can name from the reception of Ukrainian refugees is due to the fact that we actually receive at the stadium and at Sechil facilities. [bairro da cimenteira, na Maceira]. In total, we received and welcomed more than 300 people,” said Ana Valentim, who is also responsible for social development.
The adviser noted that the number of refugees who arrived in the district is higher, recalling the movement of volunteers who went to the Ukrainian border to collect internally displaced persons.
The first passage of refugees was the Municipal Stadium. Magalhães Pessoa (with a simultaneous capacity of 54 people), which was then redirected to other accommodation solutions.
“We continue to monitor all the people who are in Leiria and who remained in Leiria and who need our help. Even today, if necessary, contact the Department of Social Assistance to request our support programs, whether in terms of food, rent. , purchase of equipment. Therefore, we support this escort, even if people have left the reception facilities,” he assured.
The municipality is now conducting a more systematic follow-up with 10 internally displaced persons who are in a house provided by the Diocesan Seminary of Leiria in San Romao, after the deactivation of the temporary reception on December 30, 2022. center in the stadium.
15 people live in the cement zone.
“The goal is (…) that they have an autonomous life project and that they get a home in the sense that in the short term they also leave this home, which we call a transitional home,” he explained.
The mayor mentioned that “the capacity of the stadium was completely filled for several weeks”, mostly with children and women.
But among the refugees accepted there were also “many young people, especially young people of other nationalities”, for example, from Pakistan, Nepal or India, students, especially higher educational institutions located in Ukraine.
Nearly a year after the war began, the mayor said the children touched her the most.
“It was observed that the children were very fragile, physically and mentally, not least because they left their parents in the war zone,” he said, adding that “any more abrupt movements, namely noise, caused them a lot of trouble.” anxiety”.
“I remember being in the stadium and hearing planes [F-16] from the Monte Real airbase passed here in Leiria, and it scared them very much, ”he said, explaining that there are children who need psychological supervision.
Currently, 50 refugee students from Ukraine are studying in the schools of the region.
Ana Valentim added that “the biggest difficulty was in the field of housing”, because in terms of, for example, placement in the labor market, there were “several companies that immediately showed readiness to receive”.
“We even had companies that offered employment on the labor market and with additional accommodation,” he said, adding that the Accounts Chamber spent 396,000 euros to accommodate Ukrainian refugees.
According to the latest UN figures, the military offensive launched by Russia on February 24, 2022 in Ukraine has so far caused the flight of more than 14 million people – 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than eight million to European countries. (UN), who classify this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
The UN has presented as confirmed 7,155 civilian deaths and 11,662 wounded since the start of the war, emphasizing that these figures are much lower than the real ones.
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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