Portugal has granted more than 58,000 temporary shelters to people fleeing the war in Ukraine, and about a quarter to minors, the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) said on Monday.
The latest update by the SEF shows that since the start of the war, which turns one year old on Friday, Portugal has granted temporary protection to 58,043 Ukrainian citizens and foreigners living in Ukraine, of which 33,900 are women and 24,143 are men.
The SEF claims that the largest number of temporary protections granted during the year were registered in the municipalities of Lisbon (12,385), Cascais (3,665), Porto (2,976), Sintra (1,955) and Albufeira (1,443).
Requests for temporary protection were allowed for 14,111 minors, about 25% of the total.
The SEF also reports that it has informed the Ministry of Public Security (MP) of the situation of 737 Ukrainian minors who arrived in Portugal without parents or legal representatives, 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.”
At the beginning of February, and in a balance sheet made by Luce, this security service stated that 47,377 residence permit certificates were issued under the temporary protection regime, a document that contains National Security Health, Social Security and tax identification numbers and that necessary for refugees to start working and receive support.
A request for temporary protection in Portugal can be made through the “online” platform created by SEF (https://sefforukraine.sef.pt), available in three languages, without the need for adults to resort to counters for this protection. service.
However, in the case of minors, it is necessary to contact the Office of Foreigners and Borders to confirm their identity and affiliation.
Temporary protection, automatically granted in Portugal to Ukrainian refugees, is valid for one year and can be extended twice for a period of six months.
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 people and more than eight million to European countries – according to the latest UN figures. which classifies 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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