The current hot political topic is Portugal's less than adequate response to the international refugee crisis.
Offering 1,500 places over two years has set the country up for ridicule and the crisis was the main topic of conversation in today's council of ministers meeting.
The Deputy Minister of Development, Poiares Maduro, announced after the meeting that Portugal (i.e. the government) has a willingness to accept a greater number of refugees but cautioned that the Portuguese response is "dependent on decisions adopted in Europe."
The deputy minister said that Portugal has the capacity to take in a greater number of refugees than the 1,500 announced last week and then, using the favourite stand-by of politicians all over the world, announced the establishment of a working party.
"What I can say is that Portugal surely is able to accommodate a larger number of refugees, hoping that this same solidarity and capacity also exists in the other European states," said Miguel Poiares Maduro, adding that "today there will be an announcement of the establishment of a coordination group for the work that has to be done by those ministries which have responsibility for implementing the plan for refugees and immigrants."
The minister said that "this coordination group shall be composed of representatives of the General Directorate for European Affairs, the Foreign and Border Service who will coordinate this technical group, the Institute for Social Security, the Employment and Professional Training Institute, the Directorate General of Health, the General Directorate of Education and the High Commissioner for Migration."
"This technical group also will invite, where appropriate, local government and non-governmental organisation representatives, and those from civic society who have responsibility and already have taken initiatives. In addition to this technical coordination group there also is policy coordination needed between different ministries with responsibilities in this area. This will be at the level of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers," added Poiares Maduro.
Asked about the position of the Portuguese government in relation to how Hungary has responded to the arrival of refugees and migrants to its territory, (by building a fence to keep them out) Poiares Maduro drew on years of 'Yes Minister' episodes and said that "relations between member states require particular prudence and reserve in the comments made on the positions of other countries and there is a proper forum within the European Union for a member state to decide on positions that other states take."
"I can say that surely the Portuguese position is that we should not contribute to a climate which further hinders the reception of refugees and the reception of immigrants. We must have a European policy for this matter which does not promote the worsening of the humanitarian crisis."
Quite so. 'Set up a working group and throw the problem back to Brussels' seems to be the gist of Poiares Maduro's announcement.
While images below continue to be published on the web across the globe, Portugal will be asking Brussels what it should be doing.
Comments
Welcome islam tell you it's the fanatic preaching death and enslavery to the infidel ( us ) the fanatics are not the problem Muhammad and his 7th centuary preaching are
I totally agree with Peter, Europe is being coerced into fulfilling the words of Colonel Gaddafi,now dead dictator of Libya, when he said ``we do not need a war with the infidels to Muslimise Europe, in twenty years there will be more of us there than them´´. As they breed at a ratio of about eight to one over the European birth rate ( the woman on the railway track in Budapest for instance has a baby of eight months and is pregnant again by five months ),it will not take long before we are out voted at elections and are governed by Islam !!!!!
I admit that those suffering from tax prosecution also need a safe place where to be and discrimination of the wealthy is a bad thing, indeed . . .
Quoting Peter Booker:
so much for security
Ed
no doubt many will be very generous in offering "support"
did you see how the gulf sates treat the refugees
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-34132308
seems the infidels are more open hearted than many
Surely this is just the time to allow all those intending alojamento locals and other tourism a fast track to a licence. Without the endless intentional bad advice, over charging and profiteering. On condition they take in a family for say 6 months. Oooops - stupid of me. This is Portugal and I am 100 years ahead of today's reality. Forget I wrote that, put it down to too much morning coffee.
Ekathimerini has a highly relevant article of how some Greeks now see this catastrophe as an earner. Wanting a billion euros up front with no strings or direction on what to fritter it away on. Just like old times!
http://www.ekathimerini.com/201172/article/ekathimerini/news/police-to-ask-eu-for-6-mln-to-tackle-refugee-crisis-but-govt-says-1-bln-needed