Manuel de Lemos, president of Portugal’s 'misericordia' church charities* did not suggest a figure but said that his members, or ‘misericordias’, can accommodate ‘significant numbers’ of refugees and that this contribution will be "decisive."
The president of the charities said that at the moment he is doing a survey of how many spaces each institution can offer, but stressed that his members will "contribute decisively to welcome the refugees coming to Portugal.”
Answering the prayers of the clutch of government ministers charged with sorting out the logistics of the refugee intake, Manuel de Lemos emphasised that for his members "the financial issue was not a matter of concern" as “we put people ahead of money. We will see how this can be done, the money always sorts itself out."
The net receipts of Portugal's National Lottery and other games of chance fund the misericordia structure which is not renowned for being short of money.
According to an announcement on Wednesday, the president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker has decided that Portugal will receive 3,074 refugees from the 120,000 currently in camps in Europe.
According to the EC figures available, Portugal will host 400 refugees currently in Italy, more than 1,291 that are in Greece and 1,383 from Hungary, a country which has earned the opprobrium of its EC partners due to its tough stance on refugee numbers.
Portugal's Minister of Internal Affairs, Anabela Rodrigues, claimed that the first refugees can start being received in Portugal in October but with her track record of slack management, indecision and prevarication, even this vague date range may be too ambitious.
Earlier this week Pope Francis asked every parish and religious community in Europe to take in a family of refugees as a concrete sign of hope and God's mercy.
"The Gospel calls us, asks us to be near the least and the abandoned. To give them concrete hope, not just say 'hang in there, have patience!'" said Pope Francis in an appeal to those gathered in St. Peter's Square on September 6th.
Portugal's Catholic church heard the message loud and clear and through the misericordia infrastructure is offering to exceed the Pope's exhortation by offering shelter, food and care to thousands of predominantly Muslim refugees.
In a clear reference to the current conflict in Syria, Pope Francis added "We must never resign ourselves to war, and we cannot remain indifferent before those who suffer because of war and violence.
"Violence also can be building up walls and barriers to block people who are seeking a place of peace. It is violence to turn away people who flee inhumane conditions in their hopes of a better future."
"Believing that peace is always possible is not a sign of naivete, but an expression of one's belief that "nothing is impossible" with God."
That's the Papal message: one that Portugal's often low key Church has taken fully on board and is acting with speed and purpose.
US chips in
The United States government confirmed today that it is to help European countries by taking in thousands of refugees as more are arriving in Europe every day.
President Obama has agreed to take 10,000 Syrian refugees next year, according to the press secretary for the White House, Josh Earnest.
This number reflects a ‘significant increase’ to the total number of refugees that the US had agreed to receive and the government will accept responsibility for meeting the basic needs of all of those received on American soil.
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* The Santa Casa da Misericórdia (Holy House of Mercy) is a Portuguese charity founded in Lisbon in 1498 by the Queen Leonor of Portugal. After the Lisbon Santa Casa da Misericóridia, similar organisations were created in many other cities and towns of Portugal.
Comments
The Schengen Treaty is indeed dead. The treaty was ill-formed in the first place. It should not apply to places outside central Europe, nor should benefits vary so widely between member states.
In addition, entry concerns are a huge issue. The peripheral countries bear the front line costs as under the treaty, the initial country of entry needs to certify and register the migrants.
Some realistic measures as to who is a genuine political refugee vs. an economic refugee are in serious need of implementation.
The obvious problem with solely depending on a determination as to who is or is not an economic refugee is that such a determination can take years, and great expense, to prove.
Finally, if someone is really an economic refugee, do you take them for a year, then send them back to Syria or wherever, or is it better to close the borders in the first place?
Readers with an interest in pre Salazar history will be fascinated by a document that should be accesible in their town library from about 150 years ago that lists the 'right sort of person' to be allowed into a house of mercy. The Portuguese version of medaeval alms houses.
Amongst the reasons to bar entry is blood line - and anyone islamic, or even possibly mixed, is a no no. Family and high status witnesses were needed to guarantee several hundred years of the right stuff coursing through your veins ....
but then, to illustrate some of the differences with say the UK, operating even today nationwide in Portugal is the need to re-register at the Freguesia if supplying goods and services 'outside your area'. Having a local vouch for you and your qualifications. Which might explain (but not justify!) why Portugal has had such difficulty processing foreigners and their qualifications and their right under Schengen and similar to work anywhere in Portugal.
And not so long ago a passport was needed to travel and work - INTERNALLY !