Socialist Prime Minister Antonio Costa last week sent letters to Austria, Greece, Italy and Sweden, where immigrants arrived in large numbers, offering the reception of 5,800 immigrants and the 4,500 immigrants Portugal agreed to receive within the framework of the European Union's refugee distribution system.
Costa recently told Brussels that Portugal should "set an example", adding that he opposed "the closure of Europe's borders to prevent the reception of refugees."
His remarks echo previous statements made during a visit to Berlin earlier this month when he said it was unfair that Berlin bore a burden that all European leaders must bear.
Germany received more than a million refugees last year alone, a burden on Europe's biggest economic power.
Portugal, however, has not received a high turnout among immigrants, most of whom have opted to go to northern European countries such as Sweden and Denmark, which have begun tightening their border controls to stem the flow of refugees and migrants.
Portugal has received only 32 refugees, and its ambassador to Greece, Roy Alberto Ti Reno, recently visited a refugee camp in Greece to encourage refugees and migrants to go to his sunny coastal country.
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Portugal's Refugee Council President Teresa Tito Morais said Portugal was not well known and should identify itself to migrants arriving in Europe, stressing that the arrival of migrants would benefit areas in the country that had become deserted.She added that a large number of Portuguese emigrated from the country, and it is necessary to restore life to a number of areas.
Portugal has been hit hard by the global financial crisis. Unemployment has affected young people in the country, forcing many to leave for jobs. Unemployment remains high at 12%.
About half a million Portuguese have left the country either permanently or temporarily during the last four years, and the birth rate in Portugal is the lowest among EU countries.
If the current decline continues, the country will lose 20 percent of its population by 2060, reducing the population from 10.5 million to 8.6 million, according to the National Institute of Statistics in Portugal.
The refugee welcome campaign was launched last September from the small town of Braganca in northeastern Portugal, with a population of about 35,000, in the hope of increasing this declining number.
Portugal will set certain criteria for immigrants to receive them as they wish to receive students and skilled workers to support their workforce.
The country plans to receive about 2,000 university students, 800 vocational training students and 2,500 to 3,000 qualified refugees in agriculture and forestry.
The government said these are labor-poor sectors, forcing us to hire workers from Vietnam and Thailand.
"These are the jobs that the Portuguese do not accept," said Tito Morais, adding that it is not correct to say that migrants come to Portugal to steal jobs.
The anti-immigrant movement is small and marginal in Portugal, and anti-refugee rallies attract only a few people.
A refugee council official said the Portuguese were used to emigration and were aware of the feeling of looking for a better life elsewhere. pt.vfsglobal.co.in