I’ve heard it said that if you want to go fast, go alone. And if you want to go far, go together. Wherever and however it originated, this truism has had a ring of truth to it for me, applicable as it seems to be in many areas of life, not least immigration and the successful movement of human beings around our shared planet.
As founder of the fledgling and so far almost entirely conceptual ‘Portugal Immigrant Network (PIN)’, I consider the important matter of foreign migration fits in the latter treatment; we will be better off facing the challenge together, and by that I mean anyone who is affected should be reflected, to coin a phrase.
It’s one of those (cue another cliche) “don’t talk about us without us” situations, where all with skin (of whatever colour) in the game might be consulted and offer their view, not least the host population, whose lives we are currently, and profoundly, impacting. In case you didn’t know, Portugal is coming close to having one in every 10 of its population a foreigner – a situation worthy of concerned and concerted conversation. Incidentally, across the globe, one in 30 humans is an ‘immigrant’, so what’s discussed here might also serve as a model globally.
As I’ve said before, NOT talking about these issues, and avoiding having difficult conversations about them, is not a safe or sustainable option. Just as Portugal, I’m sure, would accept it has an outward migration issue, it clearly has an inward migration challenge that is not without its awkward and downright difficult aspects, as well as its demonstrable upsides for individual and nation alike.
One incomer who’s talking about it and tackling the issue in no uncertain way is Paolo Funassi, from Italy and based in Albufeira. He may have come to your attention recently in his efforts to mobilise the foreign population of his town in seeking greater representation and consequent benefit from the collective energy and tax revenue they create. So great in fact is the energy for his and his colleagues’ initiative that their group, originally named “Estrangeiros/Foreigners Albufeira”, has now changed to “Estrangeiros/Foreigners Algarve”, in response to positive public interest.
In a recent conversation I had with him, along with other members of the Portugal Club, which I convene and host, Paolo’s concerns and expectations seemed reasonable enough, notwithstanding the management of any antagonism or frustration his project may stimulate, something I am personally very sensitive about.
Among Paolo’s array of ideas that include more outreach to, and political power for, foreigners in Albufeira, who number around half of the town’s total population, is a cricket pitch or ground, which struck me as an excellent solution to an awkward problem.
One migration nettle I’m going to introduce and grasp here – and I want you to understand that I do so in the spirit of long-term harmony and integration – is the issue of Asian men, notably of the Indian sub-continent, who gather on their few and precious days off. It is something that can’t have gone unnoticed down South. I have noticed it here on the Silver Coast, and presume it’s the same elsewhere in the country where, of course, these folks are working hard, often in agriculture or hospitality.
Like any group of younger men, and if partaking of a few well-priced Portuguese beers too, this kind of assembly can feel uncomfortable in a village or town centre, possibly fostering misunderstanding, discomfort and a lack of empathy that could otherwise be addressed. This could be the case whether the group is local teenagers (though this is something I am less familiar with in Portugal than in UK), or gangs of young, male holidaymakers (typically British) who can make a nuisance of themselves, causing an embarrassment for their home nation as well as an unnecessary burden on local policing and long-suffering touristic communities.
In conversation with Paolo, his bright idea in this regard is to have a cricket field built, a sport that is often beloved of these young men (at the risk of perpetuating a cultural stereotype), that might give them something more rewarding to do AND attract other nationalities in friendly competition at the same time.
Inspired by his words and excellent idea, I can imagine my long-held dreams of playing cricket in Portugal coming to life one summer’s day in the Algarve, hearing the sound of leather on willow and taking tea, cucumber sandwiches and refuge from the blazing sun, mid-afternoon.
“In Albufeira,” says Paolo, “we have courts for 30 different sports but nothing for cricket. Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and British are more than 7,000 people in Albufeira, and from the countries who have a culture of cricket.”
“If we give these young people a field, we won’t have them wandering around without knowing what to do on their days off. We’ll have them happier, integrated and included. We get happy communities who don’t bother anyone and live in peace,” he suggests.
“When I was young, we played in the street and broke the neighbours’ windows and everyone sent us away from everywhere,” recalls the ‘Costner of cricket’. “When clubs and camps appeared, these social problems ended. The same happened with skateboarding here and now the city has invested a lot in skate parks, and they even hold tournaments sponsored by the council and they are a huge success with public participation.”
I applaud and am enthused by ‘Senhor’ Funassi’s vision, albeit wondering if some of the companies who employ these workers might also like to share the costs of such a project with the local câmara (town hall). And I realise I may have upset or triggered some readers at this point, identifying a particular group, potentially being seen as racist, but I repeat: this is not my aim. I put it to anyone offended by my words and speculation that it is impossible to talk about or address a particular group of people, without running such a risk, and urge anyone so offended to consider my intention, as much as their inference.
Furthermore, if we avoid being specific about groups or nationalities, we run the risk of not making progress because we are too scared of possible criticism and recrimination, which has made ‘woke’ culture such a minefield and menace. Like I said, these are not easy conversations sometimes, but they ARE crucial if we are ever going to address the underlying ingredients of harmonious and sustainable immigration, and thereby wholesome integration.
And it should work in all directions, hence a network rather than a hierarchy of immigrants, facilitated by local and national politicians who are earnest in their efforts to truly engage in this vital process, rather than exploit it as political capital.
As a Brit, by passport and recent history, my cultural kin have their issues and shortcomings as well as their more positive features. Rather than living in fear of shrill calls of racism, wouldn’t it be better to be able to have robust encounters on how we are doing? Yes, the Brits have a great relationship with the Portuguese dating back to the Treaty of Windsor, but it wouldn’t hurt if a few of you lobster-coloured drunkards tried speaking a bit of Portuguese sometimes, and stopped shouting so much! See, it’s not that difficult.
Each of us, and the countries and cultures from which we came, have delightful upsides as well as less attractive downsides that we could ‘own’ with good humour and best intention, shifting the agenda from personal insult and ideological warfare towards the common good and common sense. Being too scared to talk to one another and the festering damage that can cause “just isn’t cricket”!
Talking of which, and bringing us back to an idea that must surely speak to the passionate beating and sporting heart of the Portuguese, I have a good feeling that if this cricket field of Paolo’s dreams ever gets built, ‘they’ will come.
I, for one, will go. And I’ll be happy to take my place in an English cricket team, I suspect a veteran gaggle, all offering to give way to a fellow countryman, in their efforts to avoid facing a fast-paced first ball from a keen, young Asian bowler!
Let’s knock it for ‘six’, folks, and instead of being stumped by it, or caught out, how about we reach and embrace those boundaries, and look forward to a good innings TOGETHER.
Carl Munson is host of the Good Morning Portugal! show every weekday on YouTube and creator of www.learnaboutportugal.com, where you can learn something new about Portugal every day!
