Immigration can be bad or good
According to a study by the Faculty of Economics at the University of Porto, Portugal needs more immigrants. More immigrants are necessary if the country wants to increase economic growth and standards of living - and join the richest nations in the European Union by 2033.
Immigration is a highly contentious subject globally. In the United States the focus is on the flood of foreigners coming across the border from Mexico, as highlighted in the televised debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump.
The main concern in the United Kingdom and Europe is the human trafficking of illegal immigrants from Africa. More than five million immigrants are said to have entered the European Union from non-EU countries in 2022. That’s more than double the number of the previous year. Twenty-nine million immigrants have arrived in the past decade, legally and illegally, placing a significant strain on economies and community attitudes where the cost of living is a major worry.
Except for its effect on the national housing shortage, Portugal has been generally happy to accept newcomers from Brazil, the United Kingdom, the United States, and various Schengen countries.
The attractions include the fact that Portugal is one of the safest countries in the world. It varies from year to year in the Global Peace Index, but is always well within the top 10.
The weather is starting to cool from a hot summer, while Portugal has one of the most comfortable climates in Europe with Mediterranean temperatures all year round, and can have more than 300 days of sunshine annually.
Mainland Portugal has an average temperature of 10-12°C in the north, and 16-18°C in the south. Madeira and the Azores tend to be wetter and warmer due to their Atlantic island location.
Portugal is one of the best places to live in terms of cost of living, although local inhabitants may question this. Those coming from abroad will find their purchasing power goes a long way in Portugal. The cost of living is around 40% lower than in the United States.
Quality education is available for children in public and private schools. And there is much more, to attract and benefit children and adults from abroad to this special land.
Written by Len Port
Olhão bombeiros rescue dog with his head stuck in a gate
The Municipal Firefighters of Olhão rescued a dog earlier this week, after the poor chap managed to get his head stuck in a metal gate.
The owners called the bombeiros after discovering the dog first thing in the morning, and being unable to free him themselves.
In attempts to set himself free, the poor dog already had injured his neck pretty badly, making it bleed.
The firefighters had to cut some metal parts of the gate in order to save the dog.
Great work!
Silves: Elderly man killed in 4 vehicle collision
A 74 year old man died yesterday evening, following a road collision between 3 light vehicles and a quad bike in Benafátima, Silves.
The accident around 7pm on Wednesday evening, September 11th, on Municipal Road 541, in the Benafátima area.
The accident also caused injuries to four other people in the light vehicles. They were taken to Barlavento Hospital, Portimão fro treatment.
24 operatives from the São Bartolomeu de Messines Volunteer Firefighters, the GNR and INEM attended the scene, to help the victims.
Traffic on the road was interrupted temporarily while rescue operations were carried out, but reinstated after the vehicles were removed.
Food prices continue to rise - with Brocolli topping the charts this week!
The gradual increase in supermarket prices has been a constant recently for Portuguese consumers. This week, the food basket monitored by DECO Proteste, which includes 63 essential products, registered a new increase, standing at €225.11.
Although this is a slight increase of 0.48 cents compared to the previous week, the impact on household wallets continues to be felt.
The price of this basket is, however, €10.93 lower than that recorded in the first week of 2024. However, the upward trend affects several products, with some experiencing significant increases in a short period. Among the most affected are broccoli, whose price rose 49 cents per kilo (an increase of 16%), reaching €3.59 per kilo.
In addition to broccoli, spaghetti and extra virgin olive oil also saw increases. Spaghetti saw a 15% increase in the last week, while olive oil, which costs around €10 per litre, continues to be one of the products most affected by inflation.
Another food that has been putting pressure on consumers' budgets is the Gala apple. Since the beginning of the year, this fruit has seen a price hike, now ranking among the three products with the biggest increases. Currently, the Gala apple costs €2.36 per kilo, representing an increase of 19 cents compared to the previous price.
Inflation has not spared canned goods and cereals either. Canned tuna, for example, has increased by 42 cents per unit, while cereal flakes have risen by 27 cents. However, meat prices have remained relatively stable when compared to fish. Hake, one of the products most affected by the reduction in catches, is close to €11 per kilo, reflecting a shortage that has contributed to the price increase.
Among the products that have caused the most headaches for consumers, olive oil stands out. Since April 2023, the price of this essential commodity has been soaring in supermarkets, as a result of a situation of widespread inflation and challenges in agricultural production. However, there are signs that this trend could reverse. “The high production of olive oil in Spain could contribute to a general reduction in prices”, says the newspaper El Economista, which foresees a relief in the costs of olive oil in the near future.
Spanish producers are optimistic about the outcome of this year’s harvest, estimating production of between 1.4 and 1.7 million tons. This harvest could lead to a significant drop in the price of olive oil, reaching prices close to €5 per litre. Although this forecast is a light at the end of the tunnel, for now consumers continue to feel the burden of high prices in supermarkets.
Albufeira: suspect dies in police custody
A 29 year old man, who was detained in the Albufeira police station overnight last night for knife assault, was found dead in his cell this morning.
The man was arrested following assaults on his 29 year old companion, using a knife.
Emergency services attended the scene this morning as soon as the body was discovered, however death was declared at the site.
The man is thought to have taken his own life using his T-shirt, but the circumstances within the cell are being ascertained by the Judiciary Police, the Prosecutor's Office and Inspection-General of Internal Administration (IGAI).
Government proposes an increase in the National Minimum Wage
The Portuguese government will propose an increase in the national minimum wage from next year, with an increase of around 4.9%. This proposal will be presented at the Social Concertation meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, September 11th, and aims to continue the effort to increase income, one of the priorities of the current legislature.
The proposed increase slightly exceeds the nominal growth forecast for the economy, which the Government estimates at around 4.5%, translating into an additional €40 per month for workers paid the minimum wage, from €820 to €860. This exceeds the targets established in the income agreement signed in 2022 between the Government of António Costa, the employers' confederations and the UGT.
In 2022, the Government committed to employers' confederations and the UGT to increase the national minimum wage to €855 by 2025. The current proposal of €860 already exceeds this target, reflecting greater ambition given the country's economic circumstances.
The Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Social Security, who will chair Wednesday's meeting, will be accompanied by the Minister of State and Finance, in a session that will be crucial to discuss not only the increase in the minimum wage, but also the income policy for the coming years. The employers' confederations and trade unions will have to present their positions on the government's proposal.
Currently standing at €820 gross per month, the government's goal for the national minimum wage is to reach €1000 by 2028, as presented in the government program in April of this year. Going forward, the government proposed an increase in the average wage to €1750 by 2030, in an attempt to reduce wage inequality and increase families' purchasing power.
This measure is part of a broader strategy to value work and promote social cohesion, in line with the economic recovery that the country has been experiencing, despite global challenges such as inflation and rising energy costs.
The increase in the minimum wage may, however, be challenged by employers' associations, who have expressed concerns about the impact of this measure on companies' costs, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The capacity to absorb these increases may be a topic of debate, as employers warn of the need for compensation and support to ensure that this increase does not harm companies' competitiveness.
On the other hand, trade unions, such as CGTP and UGT, have been pushing for the national minimum wage to increase significantly, stressing that the current level of minimum income is insufficient to meet the cost of living, which has been increasing, particularly with the increase in housing and energy prices.
The Social Concertation meeting this week, which will be chaired by Minister Ana Mendes Godinho, will be crucial to the outcome of these negotiations, as the social partners will have the opportunity to present their demands and concerns regarding the economic and social impact of this proposal. The increase in the minimum wage will be one of the central topics on the agenda, but the meeting should also address other measures to support income and promote quality employment.
The government's proposal will certainly be the subject of intense debate, in a context in which the country is trying to balance economic growth and social cohesion.
Portimão: three injured in two hit and run accidents yesterday
Three men were injured yesterday, in two different hit-and-run accidents in Portimão that occurred in the city of Portimão, luckily sustaining only minor injuries.
The first alert came in to the local Fire Department at 9:35am Tuesday morning, regarding a cyclist being run off the road on the V6.
The man, aged 43 and of Brazilian nationality, was transported to the Barlavento Hospital with minor injuries and treated there.
A total of 10 operatives from the Portimão Volunteer Firefighters, Red Cross and Public Security Police (PSP) attended the scene of this accident.
Later in the day, at 5:24pm, emergency services received another alert after a pedestrian and the driver of a motorbike were run-over in the Três Bicos area of Portimão.
The victims, a 40 year old Portuguese man and a 59 year old Italian man, were assisted by a team of 13 people from the Portimão Volunteer Firefighters and the PSP on the scene, and were taken to the Barlavento Hospital to be treated for their minor injuries.
Police are investigating the identity of the hit and run drivers.
Man tries to kill his neighbour after a dispute over their animals
The Judicial Police of Faro arrested a 74 year old man yesterday, suspected of attempting to kill his neighbour using a firearm, in the Alentejo municipality of Mértola.
Investigation carried out by the police revealed that “the events occurred as a result of a contentious relationship between the suspect and the victim, motivated by disagreements regarding animals that both have on their respective farms, with the aggressor having left the scene after the attack”.
The victim, a 62 year old man, needed to be transported to the Baixo Alentejo Hospital Center.
Police say “relevant evidence was collected, as well as the seizure of the firearm used in the attack, with the suspect being detained outside of flagrant crime”.
The detainee will be brought before the judicial authorities for initial questioning and application of coercive measures.
Sagres: the highest underwater mountain in Europe is the target of a scientific expedition
Europe's tallest underwater mountain, the Gorringe Bank, is located 200 kilometres off the coast of the Algarve at Sagres and is currently the target of a scientific expedition.
According to the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), this mountain range “is 200 kilometres from the tip of Sagres, extending for another 200 kilometres and at 5000 metres high is the highest mountain range in Europe”.
It is a place “rich in biodiversity (850 species) and habitats, as a result of its 5000 metre altitude, a host to marine life from coastal areas and at great depths, such as cold-water corals.”
The Gorringe Bank serves as a “stopping point for migratory species, such as whales, sharks and turtles”, explains the ICNF.
For three weeks, 26 scientists from various institutions, both Portuguese and foreign, who set off on Saturday in three sailboats, will take part in an expedition that will deepen their knowledge in this area of the Natura 2000 Network, contributing to achieving the goal of having 30% of the Portuguese marine area protected, and to prepare the creation of a Protected Marine Area.
In addition to the ICNF, the expeditionary initiative co-financed by the Environmental Fund is promoted by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, Oceano Azul Foundation Oceano Azul, Oceanário and the Portuguese Navy.
Convicted Algarve drug lord escapes prison
Jailed since 2014 for 25 years, Fabio Louriro, known as the “Gypsy”, is being called the “most sought after escape in the Algarve”, after he ran from prison in Lisbon on Saturday morning.
The man ran from Vale de Judeus Prison in Lisbon last Saturday morning, wearing a sweatpants and a black t-shirt, just a few days away from the ten year anniversary of his arrest. In addition to him, four other men also escaped.
According to prison services, the men escaped “with outside aid through the launch of a ladder, which allowed them to scale the wall and access the exterior.”
Fabio Fernandes Santos Loureiro is considered one of the most sought-after criminals in the region, formerly one of the largest drug lords in the country.
Following his arrest in 2014 , he began serving time in the Pinheiro da Cruz Prison in Grândola, but was transferred to Vale de Judeus Prison, in Alcoentre, Lisbon at the end of last year.
Fabio Louriro's last known address is close to Carvoeiro, Lagoa, so police are warning Algarve residents to be on the look out for him. He has a small tattoo of a tear next to his eye.
According to the authorities, if you spot him, you “shouldn’t make any contact. You should call 112 immediately.
