Integration project in Martim Moniz ‘open to everyone’
The first local support centre for the integration of migrants run by a Nepalese association in Portugal opened to the public today in Lisbon’s Martim Moniz district, described as ‘an integration project that the association wants to open up to everyone’.
“We’re hoping to help as many Nepalese and South Asians as possible, but also anyone who comes to us,” Kamal Bhattarai, president of the NIALP association (Intercultural Association Lisboa, Portugal) told Lusa.
The local community of inhabitants from Nepal, India and Bangladesh is estimated at more than 200,000 people, and Kamal Bhattarai recognises that language is the main challenge.
“Here they can find someone who speaks their language and can help them find solutions to their problems,” he said.
“In the context of the (government’s) Migration Action Plan, which defines the integration of migrants as a fundamental pillar of Portuguese regulatory policy, more humanist and with respect for the fundamental rights of foreign citizens,” AIMA, the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum gave some context.
“The opening of the first local support centre for the integration of migrants in Martim Moniz, an area known for its multiculturalism, and in partnership, for the first time, with an association for the integration of Nepalese immigrants into Portuguese society, is a reflection of the work carried out by the Agency for Integration, Migration and Asylum to promote the integration of all migrants who have chosen this country to live in.”
The centre “will provide a free service with reception, information and support functions for migrant citizens, including immigrants and applicants for international protection,” AIMA adds.
Source: LUSA
