Until this Monday, Portugal has provided more than 55,000 temporary shelters to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, and about a quarter were granted to minors, the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) said on Monday.
According to the latest update made by the SEF, since the beginning of the war on February 24, Portugal has granted temporary protection to 55,560 Ukrainian citizens and foreigners living in Ukraine, of which 32,569 are women and 22,991 are men.
The SEF claims that the largest number of granted temporary protection is still registered in Lisbon (12,076), Cascais (3,437), Porto (2,815), Sintra (1,883) and Albufeira (1,370).
This security service adds that requests for temporary protection were allowed for 13,831 minors, about 25% of the total.
The SEF also reports that it has informed the Ministry of Public Security (MP) about the situation of 736 Ukrainian minors who arrived in Portugal without parents or legal guardians, in cases where it is considered that there is no “current or imminent danger.”
In such situations – in most cases the child arrived in Portugal with a family member – the case is referred to a member of parliament to appoint a legal representative and possibly move forward with the child protection process.
The SEF also informed the Commission for the Protection of Children and Youth about the situation of 15 minors who arrived in Portugal unaccompanied, but with someone other than their parents or legal representatives, representing in these cases “current or imminent danger.”
A request for temporary protection in Portugal can be made through an “online” platform created by the SEF, available in three languages, without adults having to go to the counters of this security service.
However, in the case of minors, it is mandatory to visit the office of the Foreigners and Borders Service so that identity and paternity can be verified.
The military offensive launched on February 24 by Russia in Ukraine has already caused the flight of more than 13 million people – more than six million internally displaced people and more than 7.7 million to European countries – according to the latest UN figures, which classify this migration crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
Author: Portuguese
Source: CM Jornal
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