After the Annual Internal Security Report ranked Albufeira among the municipalities with the highest crime rates in the country, this area and its alleged connection to immigration have become a topic of discussion. However, the candidates agree that insecurity is concentrated in two areas linked to nightlife, considering housing a priority.

About a month before the local elections, Lusa news agency questioned the five candidates for the Algarve City Council on these issues, and all acknowledged—except for the CDU (PCP/PEV) candidate, Manuela Vardasta, with whom it was not possible to contact—that high property and rental prices are preventing residents from affording housing.

José Carlos Rolo, mayor and candidate for the "Ser Albufeira" (PSD/CDS-PP) coalition, dismissed the idea that security is a problem and argued that the crimes per population mentioned in the report do not reflect the population growth caused by tourism, with the reality being "distorted" by content proliferating on social media.

Defending Albufeira as a "safe tourist destination," the PSD/CDS-PP candidate stated that security "is not a problem at all," but a concern centred on "500 or 600 meters of street, where the nightlife is most intense," and that excessive alcohol consumption can cause problems, but not to the extent that the images circulating suggest.

Besides security, there are more important issues such as housing, health, and education, José Carlos Rolo pointed out, also dismissing the existence of a link between insecurity and immigration, which, he noted, "is sorely missed" due to the lack of labour in the municipality.

Biased data

Victor Ferraz, candidate for the "Albufeira é Tua" (PS/Livre/PAN/BE) coalition, said that the "biased" data from security reports doesn't prevent him from recognizing that there are "black spots" like Rua da Oura and the city center. However, he emphasized that "in the surrounding parishes, there isn't even that feeling" of insecurity, nor a link between insecurity and immigration.

The coalition candidate considered that "there are other more important issues" requiring municipal action, "primarily the housing issue," whose high prices are causing the municipality to "demographically decline," with the population aging and young people leaving the municipality.

Chega candidate Rui Cristina considered Albufeira a "safe" municipality, but it has "two pockets of insecurity" that cause "real concern" and from which reports and videos emerge with "evidence of insecurity" that "must be addressed" with more municipal police and video surveillance cameras.

Rui Cristina advocated for the creation of a Municipal Security Coordination Center, an infrastructure that would include the GNR (National Republican Guard), video surveillance terminals, the Municipal Police, firefighters, Civil Protection, and some health entity "to address these two hotspots" and prevent cases from "spreading to the rest of the city."

Immigration necessary

Rui Cristina admitted that immigration "is necessary" for Albufeira's economic activity, but argued that it "must be controlled" and said that his candidacy is "aware that homelessness is the biggest problem" in the municipality, followed by health.

The Liberal Initiative candidate, Miguel Matias, rejected the idea that security is a problem in the municipality, but said there is a perception that "it's on screen," there are reports of theft and disorder, and there should be increased community policing.

"Housing, in our view, is the biggest problem Albufeira faces," Miguel Matias agreed, lamenting that the high cost of this basic necessity is "driving away young people" and "suffocating those who work" in the municipality.

The IL candidate advocated for a review of the Municipal Master Plan (PDM), which dates back to 1995 and "blocks development," proposing the creation of a "construction office 2.0" to streamline processes and advocating for "regulation" in the area of ​​immigration, which is necessary to get economic activity going.

Lusa attempted on several occasions to contact the CDU candidate for the Albufeira City Council to include her position in this work and to hear from all the candidates, but to no avail.

The municipal elections take place on October 12.