The position of the Portuguese authorities was forwarded to the European Commission as part of a European solidarity effort, according to a communiqué issued by the Ministry of the Interior and the office of the Minister of State and Presidency.

"This effort will result in the implementation, in conjunction with the Greek authorities, of two existing instruments. These are the Bilateral Agreement between the two countries for the relocation of refugees and asylum seekers and the Portuguese demonstration of readiness to receive a total of 500 unaccompanied minors", the document states.

Under the Bilateral Agreement already signed between Portugal and Greece, "the already planned transfer of the first 100 persons will be speeded up".

This agreement, which provides for the reception of up to 1,000 people in refugee camps in Greece, has been given the green light by the European Commission and has been accompanied by the International Organisation for Migration.

As regards unaccompanied minors, a further 28 are expected to arrive in September from refugee camps in Greece.

It is the Greek authorities who determine the profiles of the people "by prioritising those who are most vulnerable", the Portuguese government specified in the press release.

The first group of 25 minors, out of a total of 500 that Portugal was willing to receive, arrived in the country on 7 July.

Ten European Union countries will receive around 400 unaccompanied minor migrants from the Greek island of Lesbos after the fires that destroyed the Moria camp, German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer announced on 11 September.

Thousands of refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos have spent the third night without shelter after the fires that destroyed Moria's shelter and at a time when residents are demonstrating against migration.

In the early hours of the morning, the police unloaded a detachment, eleven vehicles and a water cannon to control the protests of the local inhabitants, who are afraid they may intensify, against the refugees of the camp in Moria.