A communiqué states that the citizens benefiting from refugee status are "two families of 13 Syrian citizens and one family of three Sudanese persons, who will be hosted by the Portuguese Council for Refugees".

"So far, 308 people have arrived in Portugal as part of the UNHCR and European Commission Voluntary Resettlement Programme. Of these, 156 come from Egypt and 152 from Turkey," the statement said.

The document highlights that "the reception and integration of refugees has been a priority for the Government, in a continuous effort involving the state and local authorities, as well as public and private entities, and has been recognised by the UN, the International Organization for Migration, the European Union and the Council of Europe".

Portugal has participated actively in the European effort to receive refugees by supporting the European Commission's proposals for the construction of a common European asylum policy, based on the principles of responsibility and solidarity, respect for human dignity and the fight against the trafficking of human beings.