The Secretary of State for Defence said today in Faro that the Algarve coastline currently has no influx of refugees and migrants arriving in boats, but should this happen, we can deal with it.
Marcos Perestrello said that "The main problem today is not on out border, but together with our European partners we have to have the ability to control all borders."
As for the Algarve, Perestrello said that it is secured by many different government departments "which work in almost perfect coordination," referring to the Foreigners and Borders Service, the Maritime Police, the Navy, the GNR and the Air Force.
Portugal is part of Frontex, a series of European maritime patrols whose goal is to combat illegal immigration and trafficking by sea. The ships are meant to detect and confront those vessels used in illegal migration activities and in human trafficking. It clearly has failed.
While the Secretary of State for Defence is happy that our southern seas are safe from refugees in unstable boats, the Prime Minister António Costa is preparing to allow up to 10,000 refugees into Portugal.
The refugee quota agreed in Brussels for Portugal is just over 4,000 but Costa cheerfully has let it be known to his European colleagues that he is happy to take in around 10,000 refugees in total in order to help out.
Costa already has expressed a wish to take in 2,000 university students to breathe some life into institutions that are collapsing due to a lack of students, but wants someone else to pay the associated costs.
Currently those refugees faced with a new life in Portugal or hanging on in camps for a chance at Germany, have gone for the latter with Portugal getting a big thumbs down from those who want a chance of a job in a mature economy.
Bringing in students at someone else’s expense is a good way for Costa to keep the universities full while looking good on the European stage and being seen as helpful and compassionate.
Comments
Don't worry CL - most folk here are not of the same mindset as the d*cks like Daftie and Damien (and a few others ...) who post here.
Even the most basic research (just one example - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Portugal) would have stopped you making the silly mistake that is your first paragraph.
So having failed totally so far to mesh in with the rest to the European Union what are the Portuguese now intending to do from 2016 onwards - apparently still in but never actually 'in' the Europe Union ?
I worry about Algarve.
Everyone as nasty as this Daphne and Damien under?
The only folk I can see swanning around Portugal at the moment are the British, French, Dutch and Germans in their camper vans.
Any actual data to back up your vile accusations?
And if you are suggesting England is "the promised land" then you've forgotten the Tories have been in charge for a while, and "Equality" is the very last thing on their minds.
Particularly as they will soon be mixing with large numbers of ex-colonial Indians and Africans who are temporarily swanning around Portugal waiting to make a bolt for Calais. And, should they make it to the Promised Land, a place with some comprehension of Equality