Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho denied today that he had ever encouraged young Portuguese to seek employment abroad, saying that it all is just an "urban myth."
"There are few urban myths, one of them is that I encouraged young people to emigrate. I challenge anyone to remember any speech or written document from me in this regard," said Passos Coelho talking to reporters in Coimbra.
The PM stressed that what he had said "was that we could not stigmatise those who have no opportunities here and have gone to other economies in order to find work."
"Clearly we cannot stigmatise them, it is a phenomenon that is well understood. It’s another thing to encourage people to leave the country, apart from those going for a good reason such as on exchange programmes, those seeking training out there and then wanting to return with experience, with vision," said Passos Coelho.
"But this is a benefit, it's nothing negative ... I hope that the country will grow at a rate that offers all young Portuguese a job, that's what we are working towards," said the PM.
The prime minister also said that Portugal, as well as being a society that can welcome more migrants, "must have space" so that whoever emigrated in search of a better job abroad can return "and to make sure that others who do not wish to leave are not forced to do so."
"We cannot help but think of those Portuguese who had to look abroad in order to find a professional opportunity," continued the PM.
"We hope that in the coming years Portugal will be a more welcoming country for those who are here and a country that is a preferred destination for those we need to come to work in Portugal, and to live in Portugal, as our society is ageing," said Passos Coelho with an eye to a halcyon future which ignores the present.
