February 22
03:29
2016
Traditionally a country of emigration, Portugal has offered to take up to 10,000 migrants from countries struggling to cope with the influx, to help maintain its own population. Portugal's socialist premier Antonio Costa last week sent letters to Austria, Greece, Italy and Sweden — countries that have seen refugees arrive in large numbers — offering to welcome up to 5,800 more refugees in addition to the 4,500 they already agreed to take as part of the European Union's refugee quota system. Costa recently told Brussels that Portugal should "set an example", adding that he was against "a Europe that closes its borders to block access to refugees".
