Madeira will find accommodation for Ukrainians who were unable to travel back to Kiev and chose to stay in the Region. It will also carry out a collection of their professional skills and inquire about their preferred areas of work, starting on Friday, in order to facilitate their job search.

The president of the Regional Government met, today, at Quinta Vigia, with representatives of the Ukrainian community in the Region and of the approximately 60 Ukrainian tourists who have not yet returned to their country.

It is recalled that these 60 Ukrainians who still remain in the Region were part of a larger group, of 189 tourists, who were stranded in the Region, following the conflict in Ukraine. Most of them, however, have already traveled from Madeira to countries bordering Ukraine. But 60 chose to stay here.

Of these 60, in fact, as stressed by Miguel Albuquerque, at the end of the hearing, the majority want to remain in Madeira. The Regional Government, he underlines, will support them in their intention to stay here, helping them to integrate and live comfortably in our land.

“We are currently making every effort to ensure that these Ukrainian citizens receive protection status. It is a bureaucratic situation, easy to resolve with the SEF. And then we will support them in terms of employment and in the sense of feeling comfortable and integrated in our region», he underlined.

The official also recalled that Ukraine is, at the moment, a devastated country, due to “this criminal attitude of a terrorist state, which is massacring innocent civilians”.

The Madeiran leader says that the Ukrainian citizens who stayed here «realize that they can stay here, in Madeira, and that they will have our full support, from the Government and our society, because we are civilized people».

«We will guarantee them that they can stay in Madeira, contributing with their work and their experience, also for the development of Madeira», he reinforced.

Miguel Albuquerque says that the Region will find a solution for their accommodation and also collect their professional skills and where they want to be integrated.

This information gathering starts on Friday…. As soon as the assignment of protection status to all is completed.

The president of the Regional Government also appealed to entrepreneurs who need manpower to contact Social Security if they are interested in hiring them. And he recalled that all the Ukrainians who were stranded here speak English, as well as recalling that Ukrainians have great ease in learning Portuguese.