“We see the integration of migrants as a great opportunity, but only with clear rules, only with a functional State, can we guarantee an environment of serenity for those who are here and for those who seek us out”, said the governor, in Vila Real.

Rui Armindo Freitas spoke on the sidelines of the meeting on “Challenges and Policies for the Integration of Migrants – An Atlantic Vision”, at the Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro Unit (UTAD).

“If we have reached a point where there is some tension, often polarisation of discourse, it is because we had a State that entered into operational bankruptcy in dealing with the phenomenon of migration and threw people into indignity,” continued the Secretary of State.

In his opinion, “the indignity is as bad for those who are in that situation as it is for those who live with it, and an extreme political position has been created throughout Europe that is not beneficial to a cohesive society.”

“That is why we argue that this phenomenon must always be treated in the great space of moderation, with humanism and with clear rules”, he stressed.

“Everyone knows that we need immigration, but we cannot have immigration without any kind of rules, which is what has happened in recent years and which has led to an accumulation of dependencies – around 400 thousand – of people who have been waiting to be recognised by the Portuguese State despite already contributing to social security”, he later told journalists.

And he continued: - “Now this was not good for them, nor for the society that welcomed them and it leads to extreme positions and speeches, often with a desire for political advantage and we have an extreme right that feeds on chaos and an extreme left that also does nothing different.”