Temporary protection for over 47,000 from Ukraine

  • Lusa
  • 19 July 2022

According to SEF, 47,535 temporary protection permits were granted to Ukrainian citizens and foreigners residing in that country, 28,877 were granted to women and 18,658 to men.

Portugal has so far granted temporary protection to more than 47,000 people who fled the war in Ukraine, 28% granted to minors, the immigration and borders service, SEF, announced on Monday.

According to the latest update by SEF, 47,535 temporary protection permits were granted to Ukrainian citizens and foreigners residing in that country, 28,877 were granted to women and 18,658 to men.

The municipalities with the highest number of temporary protection permits granted continue to be Lisbon (9,941), Cascais (2,856), Porto (2,194), Sintra (1,627) and Albufeira (1,222).

SEF also indicates that it has issued 40,682 certificates granting a residence permit under the temporary protection regime.

This certificate, issued after the national health service, social security and tax authority have assigned their respective numbers, is necessary for refugees to start working and access support.

During the process of assigning these numbers, citizens can consult the numbers that have been assigned in the meantime, in their reserved area of the digital platform https://sefforukraine.sef.pt.

SEF also states that requests for temporary protection were authorized for 13,233 minors, representing about 28% of the total, and communicated to the public prosecutor (MP) the situation of 723 Ukrainian minors who arrived in Portugal without parents or legal representatives, cases in which there is considered to be no “present or imminent danger”.

In these situations, in which in most cases children arrive in Portugal with a relative, the case is communicated to the prosecutor for the appointment of a legal representative and possible initiation of protection proceedings for the minor.

SEF also communicated to the Commission for the Protection of Children and Young People the situation of 15 minors who arrived in Portugal unaccompanied, but with someone other than parents or a proven legal representative, these cases representing “current or imminent danger”.

The request for temporary protection to Portugal can be made through the ‘online’ platform created by SEF available in three languages, without the need for adults to go to the branches of this security service.

However, in the case of minors, it is compulsory to go to a SEF branch to confirm their identity and parentage.