A statement from the Town Hall explained that the new centre is part of the country’s commitment to responding to the humanitarian crisis. The centre is located in Lumiar and is to act as a first port of call for refugees arriving in Portugal.
With a capacity for 35 people the centre will provide temporary lodgings while refugees wait for a definitive response to their needs.
Seven migrants from Eritrea expected to arrive in Portugal next week will be the centre’s first tenants.
The small group is part of a 30-person contingent that will arrive in Portugal in the coming weeks.
Lisbon Mayor Fernando Medina said the centre “has a very specific mission, to be a top class centre, a first welcome when people arrive in Portugal, when they arrive in Lisbon and find an open door for accommodation during the first days.”
The council authority expects that each refugee will spend up to three weeks at the centre before moving on to permanent housing, be that in Lisbon or elsewhere.
During those three weeks the centre will help with learning the Portuguese language as well as bureaucratic issues regarding their relocation.
Inaugurated on Monday afternoon the centre has 24 beds divided into family rooms and shared bedrooms, as well as a kitchen, library, communal rooms, teaching rooms, a garden, a space for prayer, and a doctor’s office.
The project is part of Lisbon City’s Municipal Refugee Reception Programme, which aims to “host, monitor and integrate” the migrants.