Attracted by an immediate regularization program that guarantees permission to work and use the health and social security systems, more than 27,000 Ukrainians have already asked for shelter in Portugal.
Thus, after the Russian invasion, the Ukrainian community in Portuguese territory practically doubled in size, jumping from fifth to second position among the foreign nationalities most present in the country.
Now, with around 55,000 people, Ukrainians are second only to Brazilians, who officially have 209,000 legal residents in Portugal, which has around 10.1 million inhabitants.
The number of refugees welcomed by the Portuguese is, of course, much lower than the number that went to neighboring nations of Ukraine, such as Poland, where more than 2.4 million people have already arrived, but it is significant compared to European countries. larger and with stronger economies.
So far, about 25,000 Ukrainians have been granted temporary permission to stay in neighboring Spain, while approximately 30,000 have been registered after entering France.
In addition to the agility in creating a formal reception mechanism by the government, the mobilization of the Ukrainian community that already resided in the country was fundamental to popularize Portugal as an attractive destination for refugees, despite the more than 3,000 km that separate the two countries.
Since the 1990s, Portugal has had a well-established Ukrainian community. In 2020, there were about 28,600 Ukrainians legally residing in the country, although the real number was higher, as the account excludes those who have dual Portuguese citizenship, which can be applied for after five years of residence in the country.
Ukrainians in Portugal mobilized on several fronts. Created on February 28, four days after the start of the war, the Ukrainian Refugees UAPT association has already chartered four planes to take refugees to Portugal and has also sent tons of food and other humanitarian aid items to the border.
“Portugal is very actively promoting its willingness to support refugees, which helps when people are in the process of choosing where to go. It has offered more help than Spain, for example,” says Ukrainian Kateryna Shepeliuk, 31, who actively participates in the reception process in Portugal through the From Ukraine to Portugal initiative (from Ukraine to Portugal).
Shortly after the conflict began, she and her husband, Portuguese David Carvalhão, set up a website with information ranging from transportation and housing options to practical questions about taxes and school enrollment. The project has expanded into a platform that helps them find housing and jobs, as well as collect donations and applications from companies and individuals willing to help refugees.
Born in Donetsk, which since 2014 has been controlled by pro-Russian separatist rebels, the social media expert claims to face the horrors of war for the second time in her life. “In 2014, my house and city were destroyed. My family moved to Irpin, on the outskirts of Kiev, to rebuild their lives. Now, once again, the Russians have destroyed everything,” she says, who does not hide her emotion when speaking. of the conflict.
Taking advantage of a window between Russian attacks, part of Kateryna’s family managed to escape the city along with neighbors. “There were nine people, three dogs, two parrots and some suitcases in a car”, says she, who welcomed both family members and neighbors in Figueira da Foz, in the north of the country.
According to her, it is still too early to predict how the integration of refugees into Portuguese life will be. At the moment, most are still looking for employment and permanent accommodation. “There are many qualified professionals in the technology area, who are also available to work remotely, including to Brazil. It can be a great alternative for qualified work.”
Although the Portuguese market now has a labor deficit in several segments, with an unemployment rate of 5.8% in February, below the 6.8% average for the eurozone over the same period, Ukrainian professionals face, in addition to language barrier, low pay in the country.
Portugal has one of the lowest minimum wages in Europe: 705 euros a month, around R$3,570.
Graduated in business administration, Ukrainian Anastasiya Petrova, 44, from Kiev, is considering accepting a job as a maid at a hotel in the Portuguese capital. “The people are very friendly, and the bureaucratic process was simple. The problem is that the houses are very expensive here, and I have to start earning money right away”, says she, who arrived in the country with her daughter. Her husband and parents remain in Ukraine.
Of the more than 26,000 Ukrainians who have applied for asylum in Portugal, about a third are minors. The government announced a special welcoming program in schools, including Portuguese classes. The measures also cover citizens of other nationalities who lived in Ukraine and were affected. Of the total orders received so far, about 5% were made by non-Ukrainians.
To ensure more speed, the asylum process can be submitted online, on a platform available in three languages, English, Portuguese and Ukrainian — the temporary protection is valid for one year and can be extended for two periods of six months.
In addition to the national initiative, several Portuguese cities, such as Lisbon, Cascais and Loures, created reception centers, and several civil society organizations launched aid projects. One of the most sought after has been the free service of professionals registered with the Portuguese Bar Association.
Doctors, accountants, teachers and other categories have also organized support efforts, mirroring the broad political consensus in the country around the issue, from the left to the radical right.
Days before leaving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to assume the presidency of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva said that Portugal still has the capacity to receive more refugees.
“We don’t work with a limit [de refugiados]. In the 1990s, Ukrainians were essential for Portuguese economic growth and for the development of our infrastructure. At the time, we had 80,000 Ukrainians residing in the country. Therefore, we are still a long way from what is the absorption capacity of our society”, he said, in an interview with the foreign press in the country.
