Portugal opens new Porto migrant centre wing, says it now exceeds EU benchmark for places
An 80-bed modular wing in Porto brings Portugal's capacity for irregular migrants to 171, above a European benchmark of 102, Portugal Resident reports.
Portugal has opened a new wing at its Temporary Accommodation Centre (CIT) in Porto. The government says this gives the country more places for migrants in an irregular situation than a European benchmark calls for, according to Portugal Resident.
The report says the new modular wing adds 80 beds and cost about one million euros. Total capacity is now 171 places, against a European benchmark of 102. The report calls the site both the Porto Temporary Accommodation Centre and the Santo António Temporary Accommodation Centre. The system also has offshoots at the airports of Lisbon, Faro and Beja.
Minister for Interior Administration Luís Neves opened the wing. He said Portugal had now passed the European benchmark for places to hold foreign nationals in an irregular situation.
“We are marking the completion of an important project to strengthen our national capacity for the temporary accommodation of foreign citizens who are here in a state of clear illegality.”Luís Neves, Minister for Interior Administration
Neves tied the expansion to changes in European policy. He said the extra places are "significant in light of the shift in European migration policy, to which we have committed." He added that the new European Pact on Migration and Asylum, which he said began implementation in June of this year, "will establish new requirements for member states." He also said the facilities would help Portugal deal with challenges in managing migration, asylum and returns.
In a statement to newsrooms, the National Directorate of the Public Security Police (PSP) said the wing represents "a significant boost to the capacity for the temporary accommodation of foreign nationals." The PSP said the expansion aims to improve conditions for reception, hygiene, clinical assessment, security and support for people going through legally required procedures, "guided by the principle of respect for human dignity."
Minister of the Presidency António Leitão Amaro also attended. Portugal Resident reported that he spoke only during the scheduled remarks and did not answer questions about the weekend's protests, even though journalists kept asking.
Several questions remain open. The report does not explain how the European benchmark of 102 places is set, or whether the 171 total includes the airport facilities. It does not say what the Pact's new requirements for member states will involve in practice. It does not say how many people the centres currently hold or how long they stay. It also gives no details about the weekend protests journalists raised with Leitão Amaro, including whether they were connected to migration policy.
This story is based on a single report, and the government's figures have not been independently confirmed.
