Refugees want to return, but admit having to stay longer in Portugal
Most of the people who fled the war in Ukraine, but so soon the possibility of returning to Portugal and the more prolonged solutions will admit the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal.
Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, on February 24, Portugal has received more than 48,000 people who fled that country. Five months later, with no end in sight to the Russian invasion, the majority’s intention remains to return home.
“People do not believe that they will not return to Ukraine”, began by saying, in statements to the agency, the president of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal (AUP)
Even so, added Pavlo Sadokha, “they have already realized that, not having to stay in Portugal forever, they will have to stay longer and they started looking for solutions to stop that time”.
And with more or less, these solutions have been more easily the result of cooperation between the State, such as autistic people and civil society, not least because most of the cases that reach the country “are not as serious as imagined”.
According to Pavlo Sadokha, a large part of the people who sought refuge in Portugal already had family living in the country and “they came knowing that they would find a solution here”. Others from a favorable economic context, some maintain remote employment and work arrangements so it was not difficult to establish themselves in the country in any country
The third group is the most vulnerable: Ukrainians who arrive in Portugal with few resources and without knowing. It is mainly those who today ask for support, from the Porta de Entrada rent support program which, according to Público, is not reaching everyone.
However, the president of the AUP says that a minority of the refugees who are in Portugal are representatives of the AUP, not least because, even because, “this normal group, these people end up being closer to Ukraine”.
In one of the balance sheets of the balance sheet of Ukrainian families, the AUP says that it has been going well and even in recent situations of people who will be headless of the president of the Ukrainian family who as they wanted free during the summer period alternatives.
“From our support work, there were no more than 50 cases of people who were left without accommodation, but we always found solutions”, he explained.
Still, and because Ukrainians will not be able to prepare for the eventuality of returning home anytime soon, Pavlo Sadokha says that “Ukrainians are trying not to depend on anyone.”
Not employment is a problem, but according to the president of the AUP, the proposals do not correspond, at the level of the offers of the Ukrainians and below the offers of the offer. “But they already have the idea that they have to put up with it and they don’t intend to build their career here either,” he adds.
On the Education side, Pavlo Sadokha says that there were no problems and, although he speaks about the situation of the children during the month of August, when many schools and kindergartens are closed, he says that there are already several initiatives for the occupation situation. of free time.
“In general, what do people ask us the most, in terms of support, to find Portuguese language courses”, he said, considering that that still persists in the information, which he would like to be more accessible.
Portugal today 8,657 grant protections according to people who fled the war in Ukraine, 29,394 granted to women and 19,263 to men9,263 to men, about 27% are minors, even the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF).
The municipalities with the highest number of protections with concerned individuals (10,280), Cascais (2,296), Sintra (1,63) and Albu (1,234).