Lisbon opens new competition for the Temporary Reception Center for Refugees – Society

This Tuesday, Lisbon City Council approved the opening of a competition to find a new entity to guarantee the operation of the Temporary Reception Center for Refugees (CATR), supporting up to 84 beneficiaries, with 160 thousand euros until 2025.

” It is necessary and imperative to maintain the CATR’s response, within the scope of the Municipal Refugee Reception Program in the City of Lisbon (PMAR Lx). To this end, it is necessary to resort to a new competitive procedure that guarantees, as soon as possible, the choice of partner entity with the best project, which must meet both the expectations of the municipality of Lisbon and those of the beneficiaries”, reads the proposal presented by the councilor for Human and Social Rights, Sofia Ataíde (PSD).

The proposal was unanimously approved during a private meeting of the Lisbon municipal executive, chaired by social democrat Carlos Moedas, said an official source from the municipality.

Since 2022, management of the CATR has been assigned to the Jesuit Refugee Service of Portugal (JRS), which informed the Lisbon City Council that it did not wish to renew the program contract.

“JRS Portugal remained in the CATR until November 28, 2023, and from that day forward, they have the services of the DDS (Sports and Health Division) / DCJ (Culture and Youth Division) in collaboration with the Crescer na Maior Association, guaranteeing and ensuring the transition of all beneficiaries to Temporary Autonomous Housing, which, in this context, will now be monitored by the Crescer na Maior Association”, is explained in the document, to which the Lusa agency had access.

The proposal determines the opening of a new competitive procedure for the attribution of financial support for a project, within the scope of the Municipal Refugee Reception Program in the City of Lisbon (PMAR Lx), for “reception, monitoring and integration of refugees in the CATR, for 12 months, covering a total of up to 84 applicants for international protection”.

In this context, the expenditure and the transfer of funds are authorized, “up to a limit of 160 thousand euros”, an amount that will be divided between 2024 (130 thousand euros) and 2025 (30 thousand euros), according to the approved proposal.

The PMAR Lx program allows the provision of two years of support in helping to build a life project, in the various areas of intervention, “consisting of a first phase of reception, a second phase of monitoring and, finally, a third phase of integration “.

The agenda of the private meeting of the municipal executive also included a proposal for the rehabilitation and revitalization of Tapada das Necessidades, but the proposal was postponed again.