Deputy Minister Eduardo Cabrita, the man in charge of refugees coming to Portugal, said the government is to “double by the end of the year” the number accepted and relocated.
This figure will not be hard to achieve as so far Portugal has taken in 534 from the camps in Italy and Greece but Cabrita remains confident that significant numbers will arrive in the next few weeks.
Cabrita said that the new intake has been through all the procedures, identification, pre-registration and registration, by all the authorities involved, and certainly will be settled here before the end of the year.
Under the refugee relocation programme Portugal agreed to take 5,000 refugees with the Prime Minister saying that the country is willing to take 10,000 or even 20,000 if the conditions are right. Just over 3,000 were allocated by Brussels as part of Portugal's EU obligations.
A dual-language information pack about life in Portugal has been produced and the social infrastructure is set up to offer shelter, medical help and schooling despite Portugal having little available funding for widespread additional social care.
An International Rescue Committee survey noted that Portugal is one of the European countries showing the greatest degree of compassion towards refugees and the low numbers agreed with Brussels should make the inclusion of so few relatively easy.
See also: 'Portugal's empathy towards refugees shames meaner countries'
