State processes 16,806 temporary protection requests from people from Ukraine

  • Lusa
  • 21 March 2022

SEF states that 16,806 requests for temporary protection were received since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24 until 1 pm this Monday.

Portugal has accepted until Monday 16.806 requests for temporary protection from people arrived from Ukraine as a result of the war situation, according to the latest update made to Lusa by the immigration and border service, SEF.

SEF states that 16,806 requests for temporary protection were received since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia on February 24 until 1 pm this Monday.

Portugal had accepted by the end of the day on Friday 14,598 requests for temporary protection to people coming from Ukraine due to the war.

SEF has an ‘online’ platform, in three different languages, for requests for temporary protection by Ukrainian refugees.

The ‘SEFforUkraine.sef.pt’ platform “enables all Ukrainian citizens and their family members (households), as well as any foreign citizen residing in Ukraine, to make ‘online’ a request for temporary protection for one year, extendable for two six-month periods,” 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 24 February 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.