Since February 24th, 2022, Portugal welcomed about 58000 Ukrainian refugees and granted

them authorization of temporary residence. As of December 2021, Portugal had welcomed 764
Afghan refugees. These refugees come to Portugal to escape from armed conflicts, political
persecutions, and human rights violations in their native countries, as well as natural disasters
and poor economic conditions. Portugal has been a popular destiny for refugees in recent years
due to its geographic location, political stability, and welcoming policy relatively favorable. The
entry of these refugees in Portugal can cause some problems and challenges for the country, of
which:

1-overcharge of public services which many times already face problems with lack of resources
and infrastructure.

2-linguistic and cultural barriers being necessary to implement language learning programs, as
well as make translation and cultural adaptation services available to make it easier to interact
and communicate.

3-challenges in job market, because many of them find it hard to validate their diplomas and
job experiences. They may also face prejudice and discrimination in the hiring process.

4-living, due to the high demand for a house to live causing higher pressure over real estate
market, mainly in urban areas. That causes an increase in rental price and makes it difficult for
immigrants to have access to a decent house and for local people in the low class, and fear of
increasing criminality due to integration problems and lack of opportunities.

These problems can be combated through measures such as:

4-international cooperation, fostering partnerships and international agreements to share the

burden and the resources needed to deal with the refugee’s crisis. This can involve sharing best
practices, joint operation, and technical assistance.

5-combating xenophobia and prejudice, promoting awareness and education campaigns to

combat prejudice and discrimination against refugees. This includes raising awareness among
the population about the importance of diversity and the positive impact of refugees on the
host society.

6-investment in community development, allocating resources to invest in infrastructure and

services in areas affected by the arrival of refugees. This will help promote an enabling
environment for peaceful coexistence between refugees and the local population.