What the Portuguese authorities have implemented to welcome refugees from the war in Ukraine

By Anabela Mateus and Ana Cunha from Lusófona University

According to Eurostat, in February 2024, Portugal ranked 17th among the European Union countries with the highest number of Ukrainian refugees, having welcomed around 60,000 people.

A special programme was created by the Portuguese government under the temporary protection scheme for displaced persons from Ukraine. The first step was to define the people who could travel directly to Portugal, namely Portuguese citizens and people of Portuguese descent, Ukrainian citizens and their families, refugees living in Ukraine and their families, citizens residing in Ukraine in good standing who held biometric passports.

The temporary protection scheme provides for the automatic granting of a temporary residence permit and a temporary protection permit, which grant several benefits to Ukrainian citizens and their family members who are unable to return to their country due to the war situation, citizens of other nationalities who are relatives, family members or spouses of Ukrainian citizens who are also unable to return to Ukraine for the same reason, among others.

The Temporary Protection Permit automatically entitles applicants to a Temporary Residence Permit, a Tax Identification Number which is indispensable for signing an employment contract, a Social Security Identification Number and a National Health Service User Number which allow people to access health care and social support available.

The Portuguese government also created a platform together with a special working group to register unaccompanied children travelling to Portugal. Several ministries are involved as well as the High Commission for Migrations.

Portuguese airline TAP and public railway company CP - Comboios de Portugal also offered free travel. TAP offered seats on flights to and from Warsaw (Poland) to humanitarian aid organisations with programs to help refugees from Ukraine. CP offered train travel anywhere in the country to Ukrainian citizens entering Portugal.

In terms of accommodation, the High Commission for Migrations offered various forms of support to people who cannot afford a house in Portugal.

Children were received in schools with different types of support, namely interpreters in the classroom to help them overcome the initial barriers in terms of language.

Pets, so important in the lives of so many people and often left behind, were not forgotten by the Portuguese authorities either. The Directorate General for Food and Veterinary Services established a special procedure for the entry into Portugal of pets. Refugees arriving from Ukraine with their pets can identify the animals and register their vaccination status, as well as ask the respective Directorate General for Food and Veterinary Services for support.

Ukrainian citizens represent 98% of the beneficiaries of the temporary protection regime adopted in March 2022 and which will run until March 2025. We can say that this process has been successfully implemented and that Ukrainian refugees are a case of success in terms of social inclusion. Many of them would like to return to their country once the war is over but many others will stay in Portugal since they have already established their lives here and do not think of leaving the country.