Wary of adverse local feelings from locals in one of the poorest council areas of the Algarve, Olhão’s mayor António Pina said today that the council considers it "fair and logical" to offer space and help to refugees coming to the country as long as there is "a medium-term plan designed to give real help in accommodation, monitoring and integration, and a time limit."
In an open letter to locals, Pina says the council expresses "solidarity" with the "sad and humiliating situation of the refugees," but that first and foremost on his agenda is to look after the poor and dispossessed in his council area.
Last week, the council was "presented with an initiative from a delegation of the Portuguese Red Cross for Fuzeta/Moncarapacho, which proposed with the support of the president of the parish council to use a piece of land for the construction of accommodation for some of the first refugees that the country is due to receive."
"However, the proposed location (Fuseta) is a tourist area and therefore was not deemed appropriate."
Having placed tourists as his number one priority, rather than locals, the mayor informed the well meaning delegation that “clearly the City of Olhão is supportive and available to find solutions," but he did not give assurance that the council would work towards the long term integration of the estimated 40 to 50 refugees as this is the government's job.
António Pina explained that the council is in solidarity, but also is aware of the reality and he is not just saying that Olhão will take the refugees to get on the TV or to attract the per head subsidy that the refugees come with.
The mayor emphasised the council’s concern at the lack of a medium-term plan for the integration of refugees and the lack of clarity from the Government on the funding, the legal framework and effective forms of state support in order to give the refugees at least an agreed minimum level of support.
Pina sensibly warned that the Red Cross support may not be enough but the organisation will be spearheading this process locally.
Olhão hit the national headlines as being the first council area where refugee accommodation was offered, in this case by the local Red Cross, and the mayor, ever wary of a local backlash from malnourished locals, has made his case clear – the government must act to assure those councils taking in refugees that it has a plan rather than just dumping the already displaced and expecting councils to pick up the long term costs.
