DILI, 28 october 2022 (TATOLI) – The former Prime Minister of Timor-Leste, Mari Alkatiri, met today with President Horta to discuss possible solutions to put an end to the precarious situation that young Timorese citizens face in Portugal.
“President Horta will leave for Portugal on october 29. So, I have come to discuss with him some of the solutions I can contribute to solving the problem of young Timorese in Portugal,” Alkatiri said at the Presidential Palace, today.
He said the President agreed with some of the solutions he proposed to end the suffering of the Timorese people in Portugal.
“I hope that my proposed solutions will help find a permanent solution for these fellow Timorese,” Alkatiri said.
He said that winter is approaching which is making it difficult for these Timorese people to sleep on the streets: “This situation really worries me.”
“So, I think that appropriate conditions should be created to facilitate these Timorese to get Portuguese language training. They need to start by learning the Portuguese language. And if they want to work in Portugal, I think they also need specific training to work in particular areas,” Alkatiri said.
He stressed that Timor-Leste and Portugal need to sign a labor mobility agreement with language learning programs: “Everyone has the right to go where they want, but we need to go with skills and talent to show that we, Timorese, can also do it.”
“The State needs to stop national travel agencies from recruiting and sending people abroad without work contracts and so on. It is what we call human trafficking. It is simply killing people because many have fallen victim. The intervention of the Timorese National Police (PNTL) is a must to stop this from continuing,” he suggested.
Alkatiri expressed his concern as currently, around 5000 Timorese live in a precarious situation in Portugal: “Almost 200 young Timorese have just left the country, yesterday, for Portugal.” Of which 12 have been banned from flying with the Euro-Atlantic airways.”
Journalist: Filomeno Martins
Editor: Nelia Borges
