Portugal: Municipality of Braga welcomes 45 displaced persons from Ukraine
On the ninth day of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, more than 1 million people are safe and will leave everything behind, hoping to find a safe place. To make this possible, the European Commission is receiving an unprecedented device that allows us to grant concessions to Ukrainian refugees on European territory.
The Municipality of Braga, in the north of Portugal, is a pioneer in this matter, and is preparing to welcome, at the end of this week, 45 Ukrainian refugees, in a joint work, which is being carried out between the Municipality of Braga and the various institutions public and private services in the municipality, which also counts on a strong mobilization of civil society, with the aim of helping these people.
In this mission of international growth, only 0 Ukrainian displaced people were contemplated, a number that would come after, as Ricardo, president of the Municipal Council of the City Council told us.
RFI: How did the Braga executive come up with this idea to welcome the 30 refugees from Ukraine?
RicardoRio: Actually, it won’t be 30. It’s going to be 45 Ukrainian refugees. The last most important days have signaled over the last 15 days and therefore the number has already risen by more than 50%. This initiative arose, from the outset, due to a historical relationship that Braga has with the Ukrainian community. For several years, there has been our council, for several years, that are integral human beings, in our community, that we have, notably, with almost no situation in this situation in their country and that ask us for support for transport from Braga for some people . , his parents, in a first line, who were already on the side of the Polish border, outside Ukraine. The initiative started with this challenge and these ended up being extended with the involvement of many institutions and we ended up managing to format this mission, whose result we hope will be successful when 3 days from now, 45 citizens arrive in the city.
RFI: These 45 people are therefore family members of people who already live in Braga. Was this the means used to signal them?
RicardoRio: As first yes. Then, in the group, people who do not have this family connection were identified. They are women and children and who, obviously, mainly, were fleeing the country and who manifest themselves in a situation of fleeing the country, due to their delicacy – in the group there is a pregnant woman and children – we also express exactly the same availability to provide such transport support.
RFI: And where are these citizens staying? Do you already have any concrete ideas in this regard?
RicardoRio: Yes. As these companies took shape, we will begin to receive many availabilities from private citizens, from hotel units, with some of these companies of a more temporary nature, others of a more permanent nature, admitting if it is possible to effectively study in the city of some years or a few months, therefore naturally we study studies to seek housing solutions and studies of radical analysis of our people even of the smallest children. We, even the community, will follow what we have in our city, we will find it very easy to be translators who can install these new facilities in our city and we would say, a first initiative that could be repeated in the coming weeks.
RFI: And in the first instance, is there a period of permanence for citizens in Braga or, for now, is there still no such time limit?
RicardoRio: No. It is not defined. I believe, as I say, that we should only stay a few months, especially those who do not have that connection with people who are already based in Braga. Others who have this connection and proximity, who can obviously stay with their families in the city of Braga, even due, of course, to the opportunities they will have here to develop their professional activity.
RFI: And is this, therefore, an initiative that is being articulated with the government? To what extent is this situation being addressed by the Ministry of Internal Administration?
RicardoRio: We have been in contact mainly with the Foreigners and Borders Service, which is an entity that obviously has to legitimize their presence in our country. All this administrative and interconnection work was done with this entity. In terms of organizing the mission, it was made especially with local institutions, as I said, in addition to companies and social institutions, many organizations that, from the very beginning, made themselves available for the organization of this institution and also as people who will be transported and, therefore, I would almost say that it is a collective movement of the entire society of Braga to implement this initiative.
R Not much known about wide areas in Braga. Are you aware of the size of the Ukrainian community, particularly in terms of northern Portugal? Do you have data on that?
RicardoRio: I do not have. I know that the community of Braga turns out to be relatively larger than in other municipalities. Two days ago I commented with a fellow mayor from the north of Spain, from Galicia, where, for example, in Vigo, in a city that is more true than Braga, there are only 150 Ukrainian citizens, but the one that historically ended up that connection exists. It was many citizens settled, almost since the 90s, since the beginning of this connection, being strengthened over the years and, as I said, already in the community of the years, and after the integration, and it has an active part from the beginning. our collective life in the city of Braga.
RFI: To what extent can this initiative be replicated in the future and inspire other municipalities to follow yours?
RicardoRio: Do not accept this pioneering spirit as a source of inspiration, but as a source of demonstration of the proactive role and capacity that local authorities have to implement this type of solution. It has already happened during the pandemic, it is happening again during this week, at least in the context of the response to the situation in Ukraine. I myself am currently participating, in Marseille, in the conference of European cities and regions, and there are many testimonies from all countries, cities of all sizes, which, in one way or another, are mobilizing, or to welcome humans also demonstrates an impact or to send support materials to the Ukrainian people and border situations and this is a means by which, in this matter, cities are always the first institutions for rebellion and the ability to materialize with implementation projects.
RFI: Is this therefore the first national authority that will receive citizens from Ukraine in this context of war?
RicardoRio: In a rescue logic, like the one that is actually being developed by us, I think so. I have no echo of any other similar initiative. that citizens are arriving cranians who are already arriving in our country from various points of Europe, through various points of air transport, connection more and not in a logic of a “rescue mission”, working a- Seilhe like this, like this traditional we ended up embodying.
RFI: What are your short/medium term expectations regarding this conflict and the arrival of more refugees from Ukraine?
RicardoRio: Obviously, the whole world, with common sense, we all want this conflict to be resolved as depressingly as possible and for there to be common sense on Russia’s part to stop this invasion, and obviously hoping that the Russian people themselves, who are not responsible for this situation, can also be protected and not suffer the consequences of an insane act by those who govern the country. that thus will not be possible, often safer, over coming weeks and months. Braga will certainly be available to receive more citizens, at our scale and the scale of our country at the end of Europe, but obviously this situation will have very significant consequences at various levels for the entire European continent.