The Minister of Foreign Affairs, João Gomes Cravinho, has called on young Portuguese immigrants who are in the UK to return to Portugal. “Those who have left the country for various reasons have the opportunity, if they wish, to return home. This remains a priority for us,” said Cravenho, during a reception at a London hotel organized to celebrate Portugal Day, Camis and Portuguese communities.
The Minister represents the Government in the opinion of the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, to the United Kingdom, in the absence of Prime Minister Antonio Costa, for health reasons.
Reading the speech to be given by the head of government, Cravinho said the executive branch has expanded measures such as the Regressar Program and IRS Jovem, to attract “young Portuguese who have completed their higher education” in “the United Kingdom and intend to bring back that knowledge to Portugal”.
“I hope that these celebrations will also serve to identify areas where there can be synergy between the work that has been developed here and what is being done on the national territory,” he continued.
“The success of the Portuguese across the border is also reflected in Portugal. He stressed that the success of our country also represents opportunities for our diaspora.
The Minister and the President of the Republic arrived at the event about 90 minutes late due to a problem with the flight from Portugal.
Earlier, the Portuguese Minister of State for Communities, Paulo Cavovo, noted that the ‘old alliance’ between the UK and Portugal ‘exists because there is a relationship between peoples, and between people, and this relationship is strengthened by our society’.
He added: “The relationship wouldn’t be the same if there weren’t Portuguese people making this relationship strong and we could have a huge presence and influence in the UK.”
The Portuguese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, Nuno Brito, said that the visit of the President of the Republic to London “expresses the importance that Portugal recognizes for one of the largest Portuguese diaspora communities that have contributed so much to their work” and their talents and with their love of Portugal for the development of our country and the relations between our country and the United Kingdom.
Today, in London, the President of the Republic celebrates Portugal Day with the Portuguese community in the United Kingdom.
When he took office in 2016, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, jointly with Antonio Costa, and with the participation of both of them, launched an unprecedented model of dual celebrations on the 10th of June, first in Portugal and later with Portuguese communities. Abroad.
In 2016 between Lisbon and Paris, in 2017 between Porto and Brazil, in 2018 between the Azores and the USA, and in 2019 between Portalegre and Cape Verde. In 2020 and last year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Marcelo and Costa suspended their participation in 10 Di Junho out of the country.
The President of the Republic begins on Saturday morning at the Anglo-Portuguese School in London, then goes to Royal Brompton and Harefield and has lunch with representatives of the Portuguese community associated with the arts.
In the afternoon, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa visited Imperial College – the last point of the official program identified so far. The President of the Republic will leave on Sunday at 12:00 for Andorra.
