The Secretary of State for Defence said today in Faro that the Algarve coastline currently has no influx of refugees and migrants arriving in boats, but should this happen, we can deal with it.
Marcos Perestrello said that "The main problem today is not on out border, but together with our European partners we have to have the ability to control all borders."
As for the Algarve, Perestrello said that it is secured by many different government departments "which work in almost perfect coordination," referring to the Foreigners and Borders Service, the Maritime Police, the Navy, the GNR and the Air Force.
Portugal is part of Frontex, a series of European maritime patrols whose goal is to combat illegal immigration and trafficking by sea. The ships are meant to detect and confront those vessels used in illegal migration activities and in human trafficking. It clearly has failed.
While the Secretary of State for Defence is happy that our southern seas are safe from refugees in unstable boats, the Prime Minister António Costa is preparing to allow up to 10,000 refugees into Portugal.
The refugee quota agreed in Brussels for Portugal is just over 4,000 but Costa cheerfully has let it be known to his European colleagues that he is happy to take in around 10,000 refugees in total in order to help out.
Costa already has expressed a wish to take in 2,000 university students to breathe some life into institutions that are collapsing due to a lack of students, but wants someone else to pay the associated costs.
Currently those refugees faced with a new life in Portugal or hanging on in camps for a chance at Germany, have gone for the latter with Portugal getting a big thumbs down from those who want a chance of a job in a mature economy.
Bringing in students at someone else’s expense is a good way for Costa to keep the universities full while looking good on the European stage and being seen as helpful and compassionate.
