Invitation of the President of the Republic to visit Timor, seen as “opening the doors” to illegalities. The New Generation agency is the main company identified as responsible for the arrival of the Timorese.
“In 24 August, we welcomed in the Multipurpose Pavilion 16 Timorese migrants. Now we have four dozen an urgent government response is needed ” said this afternoon the president of the Municipality of Serpa, at a press conference convened with the aim of alerting the authorities to the worsening situation in the city.
João Efigenio Palma, explained that “a GNR, o SEF, ACT and Social Security, everyone came to Serpa but each one solves the things within their competence. We can't be the ones holding the boy in our arms. We need to get our heads out of the sand and solve this problem at the government level. It is necessary to legislate and impose obligations on contractors”, concluded.
The mayor went further and ensured that “no matter how hard it is, we can't receive anyone else”, ensuring that only until “mid october can we keep these people in that space”, concluded.
The mayor who are in Serpa “around two hundred people who are at risk of being evicted from their homes and have no means of subsistence due to lack of work”, finished.
When asked if the invitation made in Timor by the President of the Republic could have been the catalyst to provoke this son of Timorese, João Efigenio Palma, explained that: “we cannot invite people to our house if we are unable to receive them”, concluded.
twenty three people, including sisters Bendita and Mariana Belo (na photos) have been in Serpa for two months and are currently without work and have already been threatened with eviction, having been cut off the water and light. “We picked pears in Santa Vitória and we have no work, the time we worked not everything was paid. We have no way of resolving the matter. “, justified blessed. “Who brought us was the New Generation, an agency we pay 2.000 dollars each and we're just abandonment”, finished.
Alberto Matos, of SOLIM - Emigrant Solidarity Association, also spared no criticism of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa. “Those who took advantage of this appeal and organized themselves were the local mafias. Then, in Portugal, the new and old landowners must be held accountable, the owners of the land who are profiting from the exploitation of workers”, concluded.
Teixeira Correia
(journalist)
