Portugal processes over 7,200 protection requests from people coming from Ukraine

  • Lusa
  • 14 March 2022

According to the latest update, the immigration and border service (SEF) has accepted 7,225 requests for temporary protection since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

Portugal has so far granted more than 7,200 requests for temporary protection to people coming from Ukraine as a result of the war situation, revealed to Lusa the immigration and border service, SEF.

According to the latest update, SEF has accepted 7,225 requests for temporary protection since the beginning of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

By the end of the day on Friday 6,178 requests had been registered.

The Portuguese government grants temporary protection to people coming from Ukraine as a result of the war situation.

On Monday, SEF launched an ‘online’ platform in three different languages for requests for temporary protection by Ukrainian residents.

The ‘SEFforUkraine.sef.pt’ platform “enables all Ukrainian citizens and their families (household), as well as any foreign citizen residing in Ukraine, to make ‘online’ a request for temporary protection of one year, extendable for two periods of six months,” according to SEF.

During the process for temporary protection in Portugal, citizens who request it have access to their tax, Social Security and National Health Service numbers, so they can benefit from these services and enter the labour market.

The platform also contains information on other aspects of reception and integration of displaced persons.

On February 24 Russia launched a military offensive in Ukraine, with ground forces and bombing of targets in several cities, an attack that was condemned by the international community in general.