Leaders of the UN’s 193 member states on Monday approved the New York Declaration, which aims to lay the foundations for better treatment of refugees and migrants.
Recalling the history of his country, Santos Silva said that “Portugal has always welcomed those who arrive as forces for positive change.”
The minister was speaking at a meeting on international action and cooperation with refugees and migrants, which was taking place alongside the international summit on the subject.
Santos Silva said that Portugal takes “the sharing of responsibilities seriously” and that, as well as accepting 4,486 refugees under a European Union scheme, has volunteered to take in a further 5,800 people.
“This is also a sign of solidarity with our partners who are most affected by the migrant flows,” he added.
Among good practices that he said were important, Santos Silva cited “developing strategies of positive integration that counter the scourge of racism and xenophobia” and said that in Portugal “detention centres are avoided and in their place the integration of refugees in the community are favoured”.
Refugees and migrants also have access to the National Health Service and to state education on equal terms with any Portuguese citizen, he stressed.
Portugal’s president, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who is also in New York for the UN General Assembly session this week, had made similar comments at the main summit.
“So far as integration goes, Portugal ensures the access of the children of all migrants to the public education and health systems,” he said. “It does not matter if there are regular or irregular [migrants] in the eyes of the law of the land.”
Portugal ‘good example’ of how to receive refugees
By TPN/Lusa, in News · 22 Sep 2016, 13:56 · 2 Comments
I just read this small publication, in fact some European countries have relatively to the political situation many faults about what was developed in much of the Middle East countries. But about the excusing issue of human rights, has Europe let get into ower common space, a multitude of citizens that taking refugee from wars and political democratic, so they enter in to our lives. I, and I think that one the vast majority of Europeans agree and understand that we should help and create good conditions for receiving and help these families; However what seems that most of us will never really understand, is how in European law allow no firm and correct control over who is who? And so with these laws and rules applied as emergencies, has europe let in on its borders a multitude of people who should have been quietly screened, so that means if they are actually citizens fleeing dangers of real war; or are just groups of people who mingled with others in order to take advantage of the situation, thus entering in Europe without any control ... thing that sooner or later we will realize the painful side of it. some day sooner we will understand these days. Time will tell us and prove this us about this huge mistake ... but everything only in due course of time... that the time, always needs to have.
However and for evil of all Europeans these uncontrolled inputs and fulmonantes entries, provoke certainly a great shock tension between the perspective of the "social them" and social of our "Europeeans ... and when some one trys to make mixtures between fire and water ... the result is explosive without doubt" ... this is because not being in almost nothing identical cultures... nothing these states .... social or political or religiously have come to us europeeans so suddenly ... well ... mixed. power would assert it was always like that ... the stories lost in time, always shocks existed ... but everything went ... but what I do not understand is as a European who is benefiting with these unruly and unsubstantiated laws that were stupidly deployed in europe.
Relaitivamente to Srº Santos Silva ... right? Portugal is indeed a country of people who always had to emigrate.
People have always been forced to leave their country in search of a better life ... but ... they have always done with full respect to religion and to the social rules of these countries; that is:! We accept and we adapt to the way of living in each country ... we do not impose ourselves ... we do not even try to change what for us "apparently" would be wrong.
Already for some of these people who today entered our lives ... they want us to change our ancestors ... habits and customs ... they want to change religion and beliefs ... they want us to accept them and to all their habits ... and according to the "stupid" legislators ... we are willing (in europe) to allow them to raise their temples and make theyer celebrations and festivities according with theyer wishes and their traditions.
So it's us? why do we ... can not, and never will be allowed to do the same in their countries? ... Who is it that allows a neighbor to come in to my house... build an altar ... and I do not even have the right to pray in his house?
As for the Minister ... whose name does not matter (it is only ... one more choirboy who think that i has the right to express an opinion in the same stupid direccion of the virus orders) ... the only thing that I can convey to you is that ... that going to europe do good boy figure ... must end!
After all how is possiblle that one minister of the Portuguese state... has the effrontery to present himself or is country as an example... is what is? ... Is it? did this minister forgot that ... our social system is on the verge of rupture? ... that people in Portugal ... despite having cashed social security ... A little shame there now ... making state (and others) use of preencipal of the "User / Payer" where everything has to be (re) paid!
Does this minister does not know that? ... to help those out ... first we have to get our house tidy ... or is it? these people they call ministers or politicians ... think only in themselves and in their "glorious" future ... and forgets that the truth is always only one! And, that despite the "pretty words" and " many smiles" ... the sun ... in the end will always pass through the sieve ... and logically the sun ... for sure ... will burn us!
This shadow (imagine) that politically we want to present as a right ... there!
Earn judgment! Not worth to say that Portugal is an example .... of... NOTHING !!!
In fact we are an example of how not to govern one country! ... In fact we are an example of how not to manage anything! ... In fact we are as rooted corruption such that even appears to be part of the natural system of governance.
Portugal is at this point exactelly like a windows system where the anti-virus does not detect anything ... that´s because the virus tear and are installed in systems so that the anti-virus them aware as an integral and natural part of sofware and hardware .
I am Portuguese ... and always will be! ... Before being European ...i am and allways will be Portuguese ... so I agree that we should help Europe ... the world ... and all countrys and people as mutch we can ... but first I have a duty to take care of my family. .. only then I think about taking care of others ..
It seems that unfortunately this Portugal is one culture place for the virus settled in to steal the decision... space should exist and have priority over the virus decide or force you to decide ...
Or it changes ... or we will have to make a complete reeboot the system ... and then ... then ... many good programs must be (unfortunately) eliminated ... for just no way to distinguish between them and the virus in them implanted.
But in fact and if one day... one day... the reasons will turn stronger than money ... one day this reeboot will have to be done all over Europe and in other parts of the world .. where the endemically implanted virus will be eliminated... and if it happens it must be so strong that no more virus will take place in our world.
to do so.
Will have to create one perfect separation between economic power and political power as well religious powers ... to achieve this... rulers must be totally incognit persons, so that the economic religious or other powers can not in any way identify them... thus losing the pressure points not allowing them the space to existe! ...
There are one infindabelle possibilities that might come in to allow these gool for virus cleaning objectives ... but these cleanings, will only be possible to be true ... after the existence of a total reboot throughout the world system ..
for Portugal ... there are evils that seem incurable ... and by apparent "fear" drag us every day ... for the hand other than the unscrupulous that keep imposing to us rules and laws ... just aim their house benefit.
Sometimes it is better brake ... than allowe the things to continuaslly be bending!
So, said democratic societies ... sometimes have to be suspended for a total authoritarism of time ... should of only last enought ... until the evil is completely erradicated.
Democracies that let them to manipulate by virus ... ever, can they call democracies; Are just rotten democracies, only in appearance can be called so ... while we do not clean the house of diseases implemented ... meanwhile, all Europe is only one huge target for the manipulative powers that create these artificial "democracies" .
But about this ... the history one day ... one day history will speak!
By Fernando from Algarve on 24 Sep 2016, 15:32
Good to see that there are countries willing to help refugees !
By Sumit from Other on 31 Jan 2017, 13:23