One week before the end of the deadline given by Orbitur for residents to leave the Quarteira campsite, users complain that they have nowhere to go, although the company suggests moving to another park.

At stake is the sale of the land by Orbitur - the company that manages most of the Portuguese campsites - to a real estate fund in 2008, but the park has remained in operation until now through a lease that was being renewed annually.

In a statement sent to Lusa, the company said that the closure was announced for September 2019, but that there was "an extension of use" and customers were "notified that the special monthly agreement conditions would end on March 31", there are no guarantees of "continuity of space management" beyond April 15.

"So far, the only information we have is that the park will close on the 15th. With the state of emergency, we have nowhere to go," one of the park's 20 residents, located in the municipality of Loulé, complained to Lusa, in the district of Faro.

Miguel Matias also said that the monthly fee increased to "200, 300 or even 500 euros" at the beginning of April, a value that "cannot be paid".

"I have two small children and I can't go to the street, where there is no water, there is no electricity. We were all here in the park," he insisted.

With the state of emergency enacted by the government in force until April 17, the camper defended that until that date the 20 residents "will not leave", even with the deadline given by the park administration ending "two days before" .

Contacted by Lusa, the Mayor of Loulé, confirmed "to be following" the process, stating that "nobody can contradict what the state of emergency imposes and that nobody will leave while this state of exception prevails".

Considering that a subsequent departure from users "is inevitable", he revealed that the municipal services are monitoring the process and making a survey of the cases, "which is not yet complete".

In a statement, Orbitur indicated that the declaration of a state of emergency only caught park customers by surprise "who either did not want to, or for personal reasons were unable to leave", which they could have done, for another park in their network in Algarve with the same conditions, such as the Valverde park, in Lagos.

As for the price change, the company stated that "no price was inflated" and that "all the conditions and prices in force were known in advance" by customers.

"Customers were always informed of what was going on, in addition to that we always comply with our obligations", stressed the same source.

Orbitur also affirms to be "in solidarity with the situation of the customers", having not demanded "any payment", because "it needs the customers to leave when the state of emergency ends", so that it can fulfill the responsibility before the owner of the ground.

Due to the covid-19 pandemic, Portugal has been in a state of emergency since 00:00 on March 19 and until the end of April 17, after the extension approved on Thursday in the Assembly of the Republic.