Today, she said it was important for Europe to maintain its focus on the integration of Ukrainian refugees, particularly women and children, as they adapt to new countries and communities.
During a speech at the Winter Session of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) that is being held in Vienna, the PS-Madeira deputy to the Assembly of the Republic praised Portugal’s role in welcoming refugees from the conflict in Ukraine, revealing that more than 58,000 temporary protections have already been granted to people who fled the war, a quarter of them minors, ensuring support to these people in areas such as housing, social support and health. They have also been provided access to Portuguese language courses and access to the Portuguese education system, including higher education, under the status of student in emergency for humanitarian reasons.
As Marta Freitas points out, “the majority of these refugees are women and children, which makes their integration into the labor market difficult due to the lack of family support, which is why it is necessary to continuously promote a support network and accompaniment so that these women can have the conditions to work and support their children.
Marta Freitas highlighted the need to support these refugee women who, according to the United Nations, are, due to their situation, more vulnerable to situations of trafficking, sexual violence and lack of access to essential goods, appealing to the OSCE participating states to maintain the effort for peace, in favor of Ukraine and Europe.
