In a response sent to Lusa, the vice-president of the National Commission for the Promotion of Rights and Protection of Children and Young People (CNPDPCJ), Maria João Fernandes, states that, since the beginning of the armed conflict in Ukraine until today, the CPCJ has registered 45 situations of unaccompanied children who arrived in the country.

“After communicating the situation, the CPCJ, in the case of an emergency procedure and similarly to what happens with all children in this situation, they are forwarded to the Public Ministry (MP) after the appropriate measures have been taken to their immediate protection”, advances the CNPDPCJ.

Urgent proceeedings

The National Commission for the Promotion of the Rights and Protection of Children and Youth says that the Public Ministry, after receiving the communication, immediately requests the competent court to proceed with urgent judicial proceedings.

The CNPDPCJ also indicates that it has accompanied and guided the CPCJ in relation to these cases of children arriving in Portugal unaccompanied.

CPCJs are normally contacted by the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF) when the minor is being registered to obtain temporary protection.

The latest update made by the SEF indicates that Portugal has granted 28,780 requests for temporary protection to Ukrainian citizens and foreign nationals residing in Ukraine since the beginning of the war, of which 10,162 are minors.

The request for temporary protection to Portugal can be made through an online platform created by the SEF ('SEFforUkraine.sef.pt') available in three languages, with no need for adults to use the counters of this security service.