The number of Ukrainian refugees in Portugal continues to fall, with nearly 4,000 having left the country in the past two months, the SEF reported this Monday, adding that there are currently 56,528 titles awarded to people who have fled the war.
In an assessment made this Monday on the temporary protection granted to Ukrainians and foreigners who have fled Ukraine, the Foreigners and Border Service indicates that currently 56,528 people hold that title in Portugal, of which 33,949 are women and 22,579 are men.
In early May, the SEF told Lusa that about 2,000 Ukrainians had requested the cancellation of their requests for temporary protection. At the time there were 58,191 and with the figures presented this Monday, 1,663 fewer titles have been awarded, rising to 56,528.
In addition to requests for revocation of titles, there are also Ukrainians who are not extending the temporary protection, which initially lasted for a year and has since expired.
In May, the president of the Association of Ukrainians in Portugal, Pavlo Sadokha, said that many Ukrainians, especially women and children, are unable to “get away from their families”, return to Ukraine because “they have more self-confidence”, and there are other cases who have to leave Portugal because of difficulties in finding housing, because of high rental costs, or who prefer to go to other countries, such as Germany and Switzerland, in search of “better living conditions”.
According to that security service, Lisbon remains the municipality with the most temporary protections granted, 11,096, followed by Cascais with 3,845, Porto with 2,683, Sintra with 1,952 and Albufeira with 1,465.
With regard to minors, the SEF adds that there were 14,249 temporary protections out of a total of 56,528.
The SEF also indicates that it has communicated to the Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) the situation of 739 Ukrainian minors who arrived in Portugal without parents or legal representatives, cases where it is believed that there is no “current or imminent danger”.
In these situations – in most cases the child arrives in Portugal with a family member – the case is passed on to the Member of Parliament for the appointment of a legal representative and possible facilitation of a child protection process.
SEF also informed the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People of the situation of 15 minors who arrived in Portugal unaccompanied, but with someone other than their parents or a proven legal representative, which these cases represent “current or imminent danger” .
Source: DN
