The Portuguese government is to take in "around 1,500 refugees" over the next two years.
The Minister of the Presidency and Parliamentary Affairs claimed today that Portugal "has been at the forefront of European solidarity" and confirmed that Portugal will make arrangements for about 1,500 Middle Eastern refugees from the current conflicts.
Portugal's Council of Ministers has approved a strategy for humanitarian assistance which will involve the ministries of the Interior, Solidarity, Employment and Social Security, Foreign Affairs, Health and Education, and Social Security.
Marques Guedes said that “the decision had to be taken at European level" and that the number of refugees to be taken in by Portugal has now been decided at this European level.
Portugal is prepared to respond to the "human tragedy, which has taken an unbelievable path,” said Guedes, assuming the role of saviour while trying to hide the government’s earlier stance that was far from the ‘forefront of solidarity.’
The quota system cobbled together by the EC is based on population size, reflecting the ability of the country absorb refugees, and the country’s Gross Domestic Product, since this is considered indicative of the ability of an economy to integrate refugees.
In April this year there was an extraordinary summit in Brussels dedicated to the issue of illegal migration and the need to give asylum to refugees in the light of the ships sinking half way across the Mediterranean causing thousands of deaths.
Portugal at first was asked to take in 700 refugees, then 2,400 but moaned about this higher figure complaining of lack of funds, despite each refugee coming with an EU grant.
Germany has offered to take in 800,000 refugees this year alone.
Prime Minister Passos Coelho was encouraged to hear that many Syrian refugees were from the country's fleeing middle classes and hence might have skills and money but his engagement with the problem and his response to date has been shameful.
For a country that rapidly is losing its economically active population, that is witnessing the flight of its workers from the countryside to the cities and abroad, and that has one of the lowest birth rates in Europe, the Minister’s disingenuous statement today displayed the same xenophobic tendencies as the UK and Hungary.
Portugal has rejected many of those who could help rebuild the country’s economy, especially the agricultural sector, and has denied a safe haven to those would prefer to live at home but are lucky to have escaped with their lives.
To assimilate 1,500 refugees in Portugal’s population of just over 10 million is not really trying.