Year: 2024

 

Number of rural fires is the lowest since 2014

 

Lisbon, 25 Jul 2024 (Lusa) – A total of 1,812 rural fires were recorded between 1 January and 30 June this year, causing 2,964 hectares of burnt area, the lowest number of fires since 2014, according to a report released today.

According to the first provisional report on rural fires from the Institute for Nature Conservation and Forests (ICNF), of the 2,964 hectares of burnt area recorded, 577 hectares are settlements, 1,664 are scrubland and 723 are agricultural.

According to the data collected, comparing the figures for the year 2024 with the history of the previous 10 years, it is noted that there were 60% fewer rural fires and 80% fewer burnt areas compared to the annual average for the period between 2014 and 2023.

“The year 2024 presents, up to June 30, the lowest number of fires and the second lowest value of burned area, since 2014”, highlights the report.

The distribution of the number of rural fires by class of burnt area shows, on the other hand, that in 2024, fires with a burnt area of ​​less than 01 hectare are the most frequent (83% of all rural fires). As for larger fires, there were three fires with a burnt area of ​​between 100 and 500 hectares.

“Large fires are considered whenever the total burnt area is equal to or greater than 100 hectares. Until June 30, 2024, three fires were recorded in this category, which resulted in 615 hectares of burnt area, around 21% of the total burnt area”, the report states.

Regarding the causes, the report states that of the 1,812 rural fires recorded in 2024, 1,254 were investigated and the process of determining the causes has been completed (69% of the total number of fires – responsible for 78% of the total area burned). The ICNF indicates that the most common causes for the total number of fires investigated (1,254) are extensive burning of shrubland (20%) and arson (19%).

“Of these, the investigation allowed the attribution of a cause for 969 fires (77% of the fires investigated – responsible for 66% of the total area burned)”, says the document.

“Together, the various types of fires and burnings represent 57% of the total causes determined. Rekindlings represent 3% of the total causes determined, a lower value compared to the average of the previous 10 years (8%)”, mentions the report.

From the analysis by district, the districts with the highest number of fires, in decreasing order, are Porto (278), Braga (186) and Viana do Castelo (186).

“In either case, the fires are mostly small in size (they do not exceed 1 hectare of burnt area). In the specific case of NUTS3 of the Porto Metropolitan Area, the percentage of fires with less than 1 ha of burnt area is 91%”, highlights the report.

In contrast, the most affected district, in terms of burnt area, is Viana do Castelo with 657 hectares, around 22% of the total burnt area, followed by Braga with 418 hectares (14% of the total) and Évora with 392 hectares (13% of the total).

At the same time, the municipalities with the highest number of fires are all located north of the Tagus, with the exception of the municipality of Almada, and are characterized by high population density, the presence of large urban agglomerations or the traditional use of fire in agroforestry management.

“The report states that the burnt area in the 20 most affected municipalities represents 74% of the total area, with the municipality of Reguengos de Monsaraz standing out. The municipalities of Montalegre, Arcos de Valdevez, Aljustrel, Arouca and Melgaço also stand out.

The total number of occurrences in these 20 municipalities represents 21% of the national total.

The report also highlights that this year and to date, June is the month with the highest number of rural fires, with a total of 660 fires, which corresponds to 36% of the total number recorded.

To date, June is also the month with the largest burnt area, with 1,041 hectares (35% of the total recorded).

 

Fires | Médio Tejo on high alert with rising temperatures

 

More than 50 municipalities in several districts, including Santarém, are at maximum risk of fire on 22nd July 2024. due to the hot weather. In the Médio Tejo region, temperatures could exceed 40 degrees, at least until Wednesday, with commander David Lobato ensuring that firefighters are on standby and appealing to the population to act as civil protection agents. The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) has placed almost the entire mainland under an orange alert.

The Sub-regional Emergency and Civil Protection Commander of Médio Tejo, David Lobato, told mediotejo.net that the risk of rural fires increases substantially from today with the rise in temperatures, which could exceed 40 degrees, in a context with easterly winds, having assured the state of readiness of the device to respond to possible occurrences.

The focus, he noted, is on surveillance and pre-positioning of resources, including vans with first response kits, in order to carry out a quick and powerful attack on an initial ignition. “No fire starts out big,” he recalled, to justify the importance of a strong and effective initial attack. David Lobato appealed to the population for support, to remain alert and vigilant and to alert the authorities to suspicious behaviour of people in the forest.

The rural firefighting device (DECIR) in the Médio Tejo sub-region for the most critical phase, from July 1st to September 30th, with around 600 operatives, 145 vehicles and three aerial resources, among other resources and entities.

David Lobato said that the operational device (DECIR 2024) “is similar to last year’s”, counting in the most critical phase, in addition to the 600 operational personnel, vehicles and aerial resources, with three tracked machines and the support of human and material resources from various entities, such as ICNF, UEPS/GNR, Afocelca and municipalities, along with new technologies, with decision support systems through georeferencing and real-time monitoring of wind and terrain conditions.

“The analysis that was made is that these resources are sufficient for our history and we maintain the same men, the same resources, and we have not changed the dynamics”, he stated, regarding a device that is based on premises such as “pre-positioning of resources”, “permanent monitoring”, “early detection” and “immediate and muscular dispatch of resources

David Lobato recalled that, in addition to the 600 operational personnel in the Delta phase, from July 1 to September 30, “the sub-region has around 900 firefighters on active duty and who are also available for mobilization, if there is a need” for support.

“If [the fires] don’t all happen at the same time”, the device has the “capacity to put them out at a very early stage”, he assured.

Eight districts and 50 municipalities at maximum risk of fire

Today, more than 50 municipalities in the districts of Faro, Portalegre, Castelo Branco, Viseu, Santarém, Bragança, Vila Real and Guarda are at maximum risk of fire. The highest maximum temperature expected for today will be reached in Évora and Santarém, with 42 degrees Celsius. The district of Beja will have a temperature of 40 degrees, Portalegre 39, Castelo Branco 38, Vila Real 36, Bragança and Viseu 35, Guarda 33 and Faro 31.

The IPMA also placed several municipalities in all districts of mainland Portugal, except Viana do Castelo, at very high and high risk of fire.

According to IPMA calculations, the fire danger will remain high in some districts at least until Friday.

This risk, determined by IPMA, has five levels, ranging from low to high, and calculations are obtained from air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and amount of precipitation in the last 24 hours.

Due to the heat, IPMA issued an orange warning for 11 districts between today and Wednesday due to the forecast of hot weather.

The districts of Évora, Setúbal, Santarém, Beja and Portalegre will be under an orange warning between

 

 

 

 

REMEMBERING THOSE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN THE PEDRÓGÃO GRANDE FIRES 17th to 24th June 2017

Seven years ago at this time today 14.43 hrs 17th June 2017, the first alert of what became known as “the Pedrógrão Grande complex of fires,” was made, reporting a fire at Escalos Fundeiros e Regadas.

This was one of five major fires, which occurred from 17th to 24th June 2017, causing the death of 66 people, injuring 253 more and devastating extensive areas of the municipalities of Pedrógão Grande, Figueiró dos Vinhos and Castanheira de Pera, also spreading to the neighbouring municipalities of Sertã, Alvaiázere, Ansião and Penela.

An Independent Technical Commission was created to analyse the events that led to the deaths, and its report with findings was completed and presented to the Assembly of the Republic on Thursday 12th October 2017.

Despite the considerable burned area (about 28,913.6 ha), and the consequent losses in terms of natural, cultural, social and economic values, this fire was marked (and will always be remembered) by the high loss of human lives.

The fire was registered in the afternoon on 17th June and from 18:00 and 21:00hrs the fire expanded widely and with enormous intensity. The firefighters present on the ground, with the wind changes, were placed in the tail of the fire and with enormous difficulty to intervene on their respective flanks. In these three hours the fire consumed almost 8000 ha, destroying almost 60% this area in just one hour from 20.00 hrs to 21.00 hrs. (Centre map)

Many of these families left their homes in the middle of the “fire storm” resulting from the downburst associated with the collapse of the convection column which dramatically changed the fire behavior – witnesses reported a sudden ‘bomb’ of fire spreading tongues of flames and sparks in all directions.

In the escape situation probably there would be little that could be done. Most fatalities occurred between 20.00 hrs and 21.00 hrs, during which more than 4500 ha burned. During this period, and for 10 minutes, the fire developed at an estimated speed of 15 km/hour, a critical situation only liable to defensive measures.  This sudden and extreme event triggered the escape of villagers and overwhelmed those already on the roads.

Extreme weather conditions ended up driving the fire, until 03:00 on the 18th of June, to an uncontrollable situation”.

This was a particularly dark period in our history, but was to be repeated just four months later with the extensive fires to the north of Castelo Branco in which some 40 people died.

The first report into the Pedrógrão Grande fire was completed in just 4 months and the lessons learned, served the basis of many improvements that have been made since then. However, on the ground, much remains to be done since those fateful days.

The aggravating factor is that, in the Pedrógão Grande area, there was a deadly fire unlike any other in living memory, and, as a result of its consequences, there are those who, today, are still waiting for a new house – at least four first homes are yet to be rebuilt – or who continue to seek medical help in the area of ​​mental health, because there are psychological traumas that do not go away and the sound of a fire engine siren heard throughout the mountains makes the population uneasy, once again.

Depopulation, an ageing population, a lack of skilled jobs or forest management, communication failures, dangerous roads and deficient public services are all problems that are common to dozens of municipalities in the interior of Portugal. The need for cohesion in the national territory is constantly reiterated, but in these territories this goal is slow to be achieved.

Let us all hope we never experience such a fire again in our lifetime.

We can must all work together to prevent this.

 

 

History’s most important weather forecast

 

Weather forecasts are crucial for various activities in our daily lives, including planning outdoor activities, agricultural operations, transportation, and more. For example, farmers need to know when to plough, sow, and harvest their crops based on weather conditions. Similarly, transportation industries need to be aware of potential storms or adverse weather conditions for safety reasons.

Weather forecasts provide crucial information for emergency management agencies to prepare for and respond to natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods as well as during wartime. With the 80^th Anniversary of the D Day landings commemorated on 6^th June, this feature focus on the later.

Weather has long played a vital role in human history. Kublai Khan’s attempted conquest of Japan was foiled when his invasion fleet was destroyed by a typhoon. Napoleon’s Grand Armee perished during his ill-fated Russian campaign, laid low by the sweltering heat of summer and the frigid cold of winter. Even at Waterloo, torrential rains turned the battlefield into a quagmire and contributed to his final defeat.

But the weather became even more important during the 20th century thanks to the invention of the airplane, tank, and modern ship. Bombers and other aircraft might be grounded by bad weather or their targets obscured by fog or clouds. Land offensives also depended on accurate predictions of the weather, and at sea convoys bearing vital supplies needed reliable forecasts to deliver their cargoes.

Meteorologists of the 1940s lacked such modern devices as satellite imagery, depending instead on barometers and other traditional, time-honoured tools. Even so, weathermen could make fairly accurate predictions up to 72 hours in advance.

Meteorology, or weather forecasting, is a science that played a seldom-acknowledged role in World War II. Knowing future wind and weather patterns, even if only a few days in advance, allowed for better planning of shipping and airplane routes and for spying and reconnaissance. Fog and rain could be used to conceal tactical movement.

Night of the Strong Wind

The fact that the UK Met Office still had only a very limited understanding of upper air winds, in particular, how narrow the bands of strong winds could be, was brought into tragically sharp focus on the night of 24–25th March 1944. An Allied Bomber stream of 811 aircraft destined for Berlin, which had been forecast to meet winds no stronger than 45-mph, was torn apart when it encountered winds in excess of 120-mph resulting in the loss of 72–Bombers.

Metrological Secrecy played a major part during WWII. In the US to prevent the use of metrological information by the enemy, the Office of Censorship forbade any mention of the weather forecast on the radio. The newspapers were still permitted to print temperature tables and regular bureau forecasts, but radios were completely silent when it came to weather. In the UK so important was the weather to the war effort that all general forecasts were banned.

On the home front, there were other reasons to keep the weather conditions top secret.

Keeping the nation fed was a high priority, so every scrap of land was turned to the till. Food was a precious resource and people lived with rationing.

During the WWII German U-boats menaced supplies coming across the Atlantic on merchant ships, and providing supplies became a weapon of war. For farmers and growers, the weather can mean the difference between having a good harvest and losing a crop. So special weather forecasts were broadcast on the BBC in code, as there were fears the Luftwaffe would target ripening crops.

The D-Day Weather Forecast

However meteorology was to play its greatest role yet, originating from a weather forecast from County Mayo Ireland lighthouse, operated by Ted Sweeny and Maureen Flavin which saved the D-Day invasion,

“Blacksod, Blacksod calling … Here is the weather report for June 3rd, 1944”.

In the history of mankind, few weather forecasts have carried such importance. As he cranked the telephone and delivered his news over a crackly line from Co Mayo’s most westerly point, Irish Coast Guardsman and lighthouse keeper Ted Sweeney had no idea the lives of more than 150,000 Allied troops would hang on his words.

The report convinced General Dwight D Eisenhower to delay the D-Day invasion for 24 hours, potentially averting a military disaster and changing the course of World War II.

The Normandy invasion was originally planned for June 5. Nearly 5,000 ships and over 11,000 aircraft would carry approximately 156,000 troops into battle on the day across a 60-mile beachfront and into the interior of the Cotentin peninsula. Because of the importance of the landings by sea and by air, the 6th and 7th were also pinpointed as possible dates because the moon and tide conditions were then deemed ideal.

According to the memoirs of Scotsman James Stagg, the chief meteorologist for the Normandy Landings, by June 2, the Americans were optimistic for a ‘go’ on June 5, whilst the British were “unmitigatedly pessimistic.” An agreement could not be reached.

Then, in the early morning hours of June 3, Ted Sweeney sent his hourly weather observation report, containing a warning of “a Force 6 wind and a rapidly falling barometer” at Blacksod.

Met Éireann analysis has confirmed that the Sweeney’s June 3 reports from Blacksod indicated a cold front lying halfway across Ireland and moving rapidly south eastwards and that a deep depression lay between Iceland and Scotland. Gale-force winds, low clouds, and heavy showers would still be affecting the English Channel in the early morning hours of June 5.

Group Captain Stagg, stationed at Southwick House outside Portsmouth, studied the Blacksod report and advised General Dwight D Eisenhower to postpone Operation Overlord for 24 hours. Eisenhower’s long-awaited weather clearance had arrived and he gave the order for the invasion to proceed. D-Day would be on June 6.

Maureen and Ted married after the war, but neither knew the role that they had played in D-Day until 1956. In that year the weather station was automated and moved from the lighthouse to Belmullet town and the secret was shared with the couple.

It was announced more publicly in 2004 with the unveiling of a plaque at the lighthouse, and in 2020, Maureen Flavin Sweeney, then 98, received a special US House of Representatives honour for her part in the war. She passed away on 17^th December 2023, six months after her 100^th birthday.

 

 

10 June: Firefighter Rui Rosinha asks the Government and opposition for a serious commitment to cohesion

 

Pedrógão Grande, Leiria, 10 June 2024 (Lusa) – Firefighter Rui Rosinha, who was seriously injured in the Pedrógão Grande fires in June 2017, today asked the Government and the opposition for a “serious commitment” to cohesion and criticized measures that don’t come off the paper.

“On this Portugal Day, we take advantage of the focus of this celebration to, in the presence of the Government and representatives of the opposition, call for a serious commitment to these low-density territories”, said Rui Rosinha, in Pedrógão Grande, at the military ceremony commemorating Portugal Day. Portugal, Camões and the Portuguese Communities.

Before the President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, the President of the Assembly of the Republic, José Pedro Aguiar-Branco, the Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, members of his Government and representatives of opposition parties, Rui Rosinha asked for a “serious and true territorial, social and structural cohesion, and not just paper measures without effective implementation”.

The firefighter was invited by the head of state to speak at the Portugal Day celebrations, this year centered in Pedrógão Grande, Figueiró dos Vinhos and Castanheira de Pera, the municipalities most affected by the fires of June 2017, which caused 66 deaths and 253 injuries. , in addition to the destruction of homes, businesses and forests.

Rui Rosinha, 46 years old, was the leader of a Castanheira de Pera Volunteer Firefighter vehicle mobilized for these fires and in which four other firefighters followed. One of them – Gonçalo Conceição – died.

In his speech, the firefighter, who belongs to the corporation’s honour roll, recalled the fires, remembering the dead – especially his colleague Gonçalo Conceição – and the injured, to emphasize that the scars “are deep and irreparable”.

“The tragedy exposed many of our vulnerabilities, but it also highlighted our unity and resilience as a nation”, he noted, noting that “the affected region showed the world the strength of Portuguese solidarity”, without forgetting the help from foreign communities.

However, Rui Rosinha, who performed the intervention in a wheelchair, considered that “very little reached the territory”, and “the bureaucracy is heavy and time-consuming”.

“The path to recovery has been quite difficult”, he admitted, arguing that we must “fight for the affected region not only to recover, but to become stronger, with safer infrastructure, more muscular emergency services and environmental and forestry policies that prevent future tragedies, as climate change is a daily reality”.

For the firefighter, “it is essential to invest in sustainable economic activities that guarantee a prosperous and, above all, dignified future for the region’s inhabitants”.

Afterwards, Rui Rosinha pointed out the “structuring problems” faced by those who live, want to settle, invest or do tourism in these municipalities in the north of the Leiria district.

Lack of doctors, little public transport, the “extremely dangerous route” that is Complementary Itinerary 8 in the region, telecommunications failures, limited educational offerings or the absence of jobs are the examples he pointed out.

“Despite all these problems and difficulties that could easily lead us to give up and abandon this region, we continue here, resisting stoically and with great determination to transform this territory, making it more attractive, fair, safe and, above all, cohesive. ”, continued Rui Rosinha.

The firefighter, who defined himself as an optimist, also said he aspires “for a Portugal where all citizens, regardless of their place of residence, can live with dignity, security, hope and without negative discrimination”.

“May all Portuguese people, both those living in Portugal and those in the diaspora, learn from the past, unite in the present and work together for a future where security, prosperity and well-being are a reality for all”, advanced.

For Rui Rosinha, paying homage to the fatal victims of the Pedrógão Grande tragedy involves “continuing to fight for a stronger and more resilient country”.

“May the spirit of solidarity, unity and justice guide us towards a better future for all”, added the firefighter, ending with “Viva Portugal”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Action Plan for Migration: learn about the main measures

 

This Monday, the Council of Ministers approved the Action Plan for Migration, which aims to correct the serious problems in the rules for entry into Portugal, resolve the operational incapacity of AIMA and ensure the operability of border control systems. In addition to the entry process, another fundamental axis of the Action Plan involves working on the integration of immigrants, so that this is effective and works.

The plan now approved is based on the principle that Portugal needs and wants to welcome more immigrants – for demographic, social and economic reasons. An immigration that must be regulated and monitored, accompanied by humanist integration.

The Plan is divided into four main areas of action: regulated immigration; attracting foreign talent; human integration that works; institutional reorganization.

In the regulated immigration chapter, emphasis is placed on the review of entry rules, namely the extinction of the Expressions of Interest procedure. But also for the Resolution of Pending Issues and Irregular Situations, which will involve the creation of a mission structure to resolve the more than 400 thousand pending processes.

In terms of fulfilling Portugal’s Commitments with Humanism, it is planned to reinforce the operational framework of the CPLP Mobility Agreement. Inspection on national territory will involve the creation of a multi-force inspection team to combat abuses (human trafficking, illegal immigration, labour exploitation and human rights violations).

With regard to reception, the proposal approved by the Council of Ministers provides for the creation of Municipal/Intermunicipal Emergency Reception Centers for immigrants. It also includes a reinforcement of the supply, coverage and frequency of teaching Portuguese as a Non-Mother Language (PLNM).

Here are the 41 measures approved by the Council of Ministers:

REGULATED IMMIGRATION 

Review of Entry Rules

• Terminate the Expressions of Interest procedure
• Strengthen response and processing capacity at Consular Posts
• Prioritize entry channels for family reunification, young students and qualified professionals

 Resolution of Pending Issues and Irregular Situations

•  Create Mission Structure to resolve +400 thousand pending processes 

Ensure the IT Border Control System

• Urgently intervene in existing border control infrastructures, IT systems and databases 
•  Catch up on the implementation of new border control systems
•  Mitigate the high levels of congestion and delays experienced at border crossings at Lisbon and Faro airports 

 Fulfill Portugal’s Commitments with Humanism

• Strengthen the operational framework of the CPLP Mobility Agreement
• Confirm and execute resettlement and relocation commitments for beneficiaries and applicants for international protection
• Develop and execute the National Plan for the Implementation of the European Union Migration and Asylum Pact

Effective and Humane Reception and Return

•  Increase the capacity of Spaces Equivalent to Temporary Installation Centers (EECITs)
•  Build new Temporary Installation Centers (CIT), ensuring legal and civil society support
•  Establish procedural speed mechanisms to be applied in judicial appeals processes, in terms of immigration and asylum
• Ensure the efficiency and effectiveness of the return system, unifying these skills across police forces

Inspection in National Territory

• Create a multi-force inspection team to combat abuses (human trafficking, illegal immigration, labor exploitation and human rights violations)
•  Audit linguistic assessment processes for obtaining Portuguese nationality

ATTRACTING FOREIGN TALENT

Human Capital Attraction

• Establish a human capital attraction system aligned with the country’s needs
• Improve the process of recognizing qualifications and competencies 
• Promote professional training and training of foreign citizens
• Carry out a Labor Needs Survey, aligning the supply and demand of foreign workers and their scheduled reception
•  Promote the attraction and attendance of foreign students in Portuguese Higher Education Institutions 

HUMANIST INTEGRATION THAT WORKS

Reception

• Increase places for asylum seekers and refugees in reception centers
• Increase the capacity of specialized Residential Units for emergency reception of unaccompanied minors
• Increase temporary and urgent accommodation capacity for immigrants, refugees and beneficiaries of international protection
• Promote the professional integration of immigrants into the national labor market
• Create Municipal/Intermunicipal Emergency Reception Centers for immigrants, in cooperation with Municipalities
• Implement integration projects in very critical neighborhoods under municipal coordination

Portuguese language

• Strengthen supply, coverage and frequency of teaching Portuguese as a Non-Mother Language (PLNM)
• Provide multilingual materials and guidance, including in functional Portuguese

 Public Services Response

• Simplify the process for granting equivalences in basic education
• Promote and manage immigrants’ access to the National Health Service

 Mobilization of Private Resources to Finance Integration

• Create instruments to channel private capital for social investment in immigrant integration projects

INSTITUTIONAL REORGANIZATION

 Review the Institutional Architecture of Migration Policies

• Create the Foreigners and Borders Unit at PSP
• Restructuring of AIMA’s competencies and internal organization
• Strengthen AIMA’s human and technological resources, creating an incentive for productivity and performance
• Transfer the responsibility for face-to-face processing of requests for renewal of residence permits from IRN to AIMA
• Expansion of the in-person service available for immigrant citizens to request their sectoral identifiers (NIF, NISS, NNU)
• Restore the Migration Observatory as a State body to inform public policy

Decentralize: Strengthen the Role of Municipalities and Civil Society

•  Redefine and automate the Council for Migration and Asylum, as an advisory body to the Government
• Strengthen financial support for immigrant and civil society associations operating in the sector
• Strengthen financial support for immigrant and civil society associations operating in the sector

Original publication in Portuguese here

 

 

GNR flagged 10,251 cases of lack of land cleaning but only applies fines from Saturday 1st June

 

Lisbon, May 30, 2024 (Lusa) – The Republican National Guard registered 10,251 warnings this year due to lack of cleaning of agricultural and forestry land to prevent rural fires, an official source said, but only from Saturday onwards did owners who fail to clean their land risk fines .

“The last official number we have at the moment is 10,251 signs” and “the Center-North area is the area that has the highest number of points [of non-compliance]”, said Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Vaz Alves, from the Protection Service directorate of Nature and Environment (Sepna) of GNR.

The official added that “the area of ​​Coimbra, Leiria and then the Viseu-Aveiro strip are the areas that have the greatest pressure in terms of signage”, in an assessment made to Lusa after a first check, still without the application of administrative offences, on the management of fuel ranges.

A joint order from the Minister of Internal Administration and the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries decided to “extend for another month the deadline for forest owners and producers to clean up forests and land”, meaning that “the deadline, which ended on the 30th of April, was extended until May 31st”, the Government informed last month.

“The decision is related to the rainfall recorded in recent months and the high water content in the soil, which affected many of the fuel management operations and encouraged the rapid growth of vegetation in the areas already intervened”, explained the note. .

” There is this increased risk” of burning waste ending up “starting fires”.

“In terms of administrative offense reports, 31 reports of illegal burnings and 46 of burnings have been collected so far”, and, “for example, the districts of Braga and Viseu are those with the highest number of reports”, said the Sepna official.

In a February order, the Secretary of State for Civil Protection and the Secretary of State for Nature Conservation and Forests identified 991 priority parishes for inspection of fuel management in 2024, between May 1st and 31st (however postponed to June), in case of owners of rural land close to buildings or in agglomerations bordering forest areas.

The work would have to be completed by May 31st (instead of April 30th) and the inspection will also take place, between June 1st and 30th, in the lanes between five and 10 meters from the road, railway and electricity transport networks and of natural gas, the responsibility of the respective responsible entities.

“We have teams already prepared to approach the 991 priority parishes”, assured Lieutenant Colonel Ricardo Vaz Alves, explaining that the inspection plan “will involve some means” allocated to inspection that are simultaneously associated with the combat, “if necessary”.

The official admitted that the process “will take longer” and “will have to commit other resources than those originally” planned, given the 10,251 signals to date.

“With the exception of the pandemic years, when, obviously, there were other priorities and there was less market availability, we noticed that, on the part of individuals, there is greater concern [about cleaning]. Now, perhaps there still isn’t the most appropriate response from companies that provide this type of service”, said Ricardo Vaz Alves, alluding to the difficulty in recruiting labor for this type of work.

The lack of cleaning of agricultural and forestry land, to prevent rural fires, has already resulted in “around 2.5 million” euros in administrative offenses since 2020, the lieutenant colonel of Sepna told Lusa at the end of April.

Fines for failure to clean forest and agricultural land can reach 5,000 euros for natural persons and 25,000 for legal entities, amounts that vary depending on the respective municipal council.

According to data sent to Lusa, between 2018 and 2023, the GNR recorded the greatest non-compliance with land cleaning, in descending order, in the districts of Santarém (4,131 administrative offences), Castelo Branco (2,816), Braga (2,660), Coimbra (2,06 ) and Aveiro (1,802).

From 2018 to 2023, the GNR totaled 26,140 administrative offenses due to lack of clearing of forest land and, from 2019 to last year, registered 3,419 for burning and 1,359 for burning.

In the case of land located in rural areas, cleaning must cover up to 50 meters from buildings, in forest, bush or natural pasture areas.

In population clusters located in or bordering forest areas, fuel management is mandatory in an outdoor range of no less than 100 meters, a distance also provided for camping or industrial parks and landfills.

Municipal councils, in addition to having to be informed of fines from entities external to the municipality, can notify owners for cleaning or, subsequently, carry out the work and be reimbursed for the expenses.

 

 

 

 

Homeland Security Report. Violent, hate, human trafficking and drug-related crimes increased last year

 

Annual Homeland Security Report warns of an increase in various crimes, including violent, hate and human trafficking, and an increase in violence between rival groups of young people.

Released this Tuesday by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Annual Internal Security Report (RASI) warns of an increase in violent crimes, such as extortion, robbery and kidnapping, last year. According to the document, the authorities also investigated more crimes related to human trafficking and aiding illegal immigration and more economic and financial crime investigations were opened. Hate crimes and the threat linked to the far right also increased in 2023, as did violence between rival groups of young people from neighbourhoods in Greater Lisbon.

Extortion, robbery and kidnapping among the violent crimes that rose the most in 2023

The RASI reveals that violent and serious crime increased by 5.6%, recording 14,022 crimes, 741 more cases than in 2022, the highest figure since 2019.

General crime also increased by 8.2% in 2023, with the eight Criminal Police Bodies (GNR, PSP, PJ, SEF, Maritime Police, ASAE, Tax Authority and Military Judiciary Police) receiving 371,995 complaints, 28,150 more reports than in the period same year of 2022, the highest value since 2014 (last RASI record).

The RASI indicates that the most relevant increases in the chapter on serious and violent crime are extortion, which shows an increase of 25.8%, kidnapping, kidnapping and hostage taking (+22%), resistance and coercion against an official (+13.2%), robbery by stretch (+7.7%) and robbery on public roads (+0.8%). The document states that theft crimes, in their different forms, are responsible for 64% of the total violent and serious incidents recorded.

The biggest drops were seen in residential robbery (-15.3%), rape (-4.8%), other robberies (-4%) and completed voluntary homicide (-7.2%).

Violent and serious crime rose last year in the districts of Guarda (68.3%), Bragança (54.3%), Viseu (36.1%) and Setúbal (26.6%), while the declines occurred in Castelo Branco (29.1%), Autonomous Region of Madeira (17.8%), Santarém (14.4%) and Leiria (6.1%).

Within the scope of general crime, domestic violence is the crime that continues to present the highest rates of complaints, despite having registered a slight decrease of 0.1% last year.

The crimes reported to the police that rose the most in 2023 were abuse of a guarantee or credit card (+67%), other fraud (+39%), drug trafficking (+20.1), theft in a commercial or industrial building no break-ins, escalation or false keys (+16.7%) and opportunity theft of unsecured objects (+13.4%).

Home theft with break-in, climbing or false keys (-11.2%) and motor vehicle theft (-6.8%) were the crimes that declined the most last year.

The document also highlights the crimes that have increased as a result of “police proactivity”, such as detention or trafficking in prohibited weapons (10.6%), driving with alcohol levels (9.3%), driving without a legal license (9.2 %), resistance and coercion against employees (13.2%) and disobedience (18.3%). According to RASI, only the district of Coimbra shows a slight decrease in general crime, with the biggest increases being recorded in Faro (+13.5%), Setúbal (+12.9%), Beja (+12.3%) and Leiria (+12.1%).

Inquiries into economic and financial crime increased by 28.8%

Inquiries into economic-financial crime, corruption and related crime increased by 28.8% in 2023, with the highest number of open investigations relating to the crime of money laundering. Among the types of crime, “malfeasance by a political office holder” stands out, where there was an increase of 138%, followed by “active corruption in the private sector” (60%), “economic participation in business” (58% ), “embezzlement” (58%), “laundering” (47%) and “abuse of power” (46%).

“In the opposite sense, it is noted that the types of insolvency, which fell by 15%, fraud and subsidy diversion (minus 12%), tax and customs crimes (minus 22%), active corruption in sport (minus 20%), corruption of political office holders (minus 13%), passive corruption (minus 7%) and undue receipt of advantage (minus 10%) maintained, in 2023, the downward trend already started in 2022”, indicates the document.

In relation to the constitution of defendants in relation to the types of crime, the crime of “laundering” represented the offense with the largest number of defendants, 20% of the total.

At the same time, with regard to arrests in the context of economic and financial crime, there has been, since 2020, a gradual increasing trend in arrests in this type of crime. RASI 2023 records 121 detainees (26% more), of which 74% are male. The number of defendants fell by 13.9%, reaching a total of 852.

The RASI reveals that it was in the category of “tax and customs crimes” – which includes tax fraud, receipt and smuggling – that a greater increase in arrests was recorded (plus 16%), all involving males. “It should be noted that, in 2023, arrests occurred at the level of “insolvency” and “abuse of power”, when, in previous years, the record of arrests in these offenses was zero”, the report also indicates.

According to RASI, 2023 confirmed trends already identified in previous years, namely the growth of computer crimes or crimes committed in the computer environment, criminal types resulting from money laundering, through the use of different strategies by criminal organizations, such as fraud with supposed acquisitions cryptocurrency and investment fraud, among others.

Hate crimes on the rise but in a reduced form in 2023 

Hate crimes increased in Portugal in 2019 and 2020, coinciding with the pandemic, and in the following years the increase continued, but in a more attenuated way. The document delivered this Tuesday states that “the majority of reported cases [classified as hate crimes] occurred in a digital environment”.

In the same chapter, dedicated to the crime of terrorism, RASI considers that until October last year the level of the terrorist threat pending over Portugal continued to be moderate, (corresponding to level 4, based on a decreasing criterion scale between level 1 – considered critical or immediate – and level 5 – classified reduced or low).

However, with the attack carried out by the Palestinian group Hamas in October and Israel’s response, there is a “greater complexity of the terrorist threat of an Islamist origin in Europe”, having been decided by the Secretary General of the Internal Security System , on October 20, 2023, “increase the generic terrorist threat level to level 3, classified as significant”.

Despite the threat level having risen, the RASI for 2023 states that “there were no concrete signs that point to the development of terrorist actions in national territory”. The Judicial Police, through the National Counterterrorism Unit, “does not fail to monitor the evolution of the situation related to terrorism and ideological extremism”, states the report.

The threat of the phenomena of radicalization, (violent) extremism and terrorism “remains at a level similar to that of previous years in most European Union member states”, he adds.

Investigations into human trafficking crimes and aiding illegal immigration soared in 2023 

Inquiries related to human trafficking crimes and assistance to illegal immigration increased exponentially last year, increases in percentage terms of more than 150% and almost 300%, respectively. RASI states that this trend of increasing the number of investigations for “human trafficking” and “assistance to illegal immigration” has occurred in recent years.

In the crime of “human trafficking”, with relevance to labour exploitation, the variation in 2023 reflects “an increase in percentage terms of 158%”, indicates the document.

Inquiries into the crime of “assisting illegal immigration” increased by 298%, and there are also new investigations into the crimes of “association of assistance to illegal immigration”.

The report notes that the significant increase in the two investigations is also related to the restructuring of the Internal Security System and the extinction of the Foreigners and Borders Service (SEF), resulting in the transfer of powers to the Judiciary Police.

The increase in investigations also led to a high number of defendants being charged and detained last year, especially those detained for the crime of “assisting illegal immigration”. In 2023, reports about victims of both crimes also increased, with Portugal essentially being the destination country for victims (355 records).

Of the cases of alleged human trafficking, 84% are related to labor exploitation, in sectors such as forestry and coastal sea fishing, but mainly in agriculture and football.

Last year, 57 minor victims of this trafficking were identified , most of them associated with a SEF operation (Operation Eldorado) and especially boys with an average age of 16 years.

A total of 533 adult victims of trafficking were flagged in Portugal, the majority of confirmed cases associated with the same operation, men aged between 18 and 23 years old, mostly from Brazil, Colombia and Guinea-Bissau. The districts with the most cases of presumed exploitation were Braga (football) , Beja (agriculture) and Bragança (agriculture and forestry).

The data also indicates that in 2023, 57 (presumed) victims were admitted to the Reception and Protection Centers, of which 39 were male. The majority of victims were trafficked for labor exploitation (including domestic servitude) but other main forms of exploitation were sexual, forced begging, illegal adoption and slavery.

Threat linked to the far right increases in Portugal in 2023 

In 2023, Portugal recorded a worsening of the threat linked to political extremism, especially the extreme right, with the resumption of activity by neo-Nazi and identity organizations .

“In the field of political extremism, there has been a worsening of the threat posed by these sectors, especially in the context of the extreme right”, warns the document delivered today by the government to the Assembly of the Republic.

According to the 2023 report prepared by the Internal Security System, after a period of stagnation, traditional organizations and militants from the neo-Nazi and identity sectors “resumed their activity, promoting street actions and other initiatives with propagandistic purposes”.

“At the same time, projects and organizations were also created by young people that extend the reach of the extremist message to a new generation with a different profile”, says RASI in the national analysis relating to the last year.

This growth of the extreme right, particularly among younger generations, was largely due to the “effort developed in the virtual sphere”, which constituted the “main vehicle for disseminating propaganda and driving force for radicalization” , says the document .

This use of digital media has thus contributed to the proliferation of extremist narratives, which reach a wider and more diverse audience, RASI adds, warning that the virtual environment has also been the “main breeding ground for ‘accelerationists’, radicalized by exposure to propaganda, the violent universe of gaming  or even contact with militants from other geographies, some associated with terrorist cells or groups”.

‘Accelerationism’ is a tendency associated with the far right that advocates an “acceleration” of capitalism and chaos to “overthrow” the existing order.

As for the extreme left, the document indicates that the anarchist and autonomous movement also resumed street activity in 2023, after a period of stagnation, associating itself with mass demonstrations around causes that cut across Portuguese society, such as law housing or improving living conditions.

However, these movements had an “anti-capitalist ideological stamp”, resorting to acts of vandalism and provocations against security forces that aimed to “mobilize other participants to fight against the system”.

In the last quarter of 2023, the Palestinian cause was also supported by these sectors, through participation in demonstrations, but with no record of relevant incidents, says the report delivered to parliament.

Similar to what happened internationally, it was in the anti-capitalist environmental movement that greater radicalization was observed, through the repeated resort to illegal actions and acts of vandalism, as well as an “attempt to sabotage critical infrastructure” .

“The environmentalist cause continued to prove fundamental for the recruitment of young people to different sectors of the extreme left”, highlights RASI, adding that, in relation to the anti-system movements that emerged during the covid-19 pandemic, “they lost almost all their relevance” in 2023.

In relation to the analysis of an “Islamist-based terrorist threat”, some international events — such as acts of desecration of the Koran and tension in the Middle East — also “had some echo within Islamic communities” in Portugal.

Although no concrete evidence has been collected regarding the planning of terrorist attacks, “specific cases of support for Hamas and attacks against Israel and, equally, hostile reactions to the desecration of the Koran” have been identified, he adds.

The current international situation “favors the development of radicalization processes with a propensity for violence, which could result in the execution of terrorist attacks, with Portugal not being immune to this phenomenon”, warns the document.

Violence increases between rival groups of young people from neighborhoods in Greater Lisbon 

RASI also warns of the increase in violence associated with youth groups and young people motivated by rivalries between groups from different areas or neighborhoods in the Lisbon metropolitan area.

“With regard to group crime, 2,048 arrests were made (+13.1%). Regarding violence carried out within groups, there has been, in the post-confinement period, an increase in conflict and the level of violence used”, states the document.

The document highlights the dynamics arising from youth groups and those involving organized criminal groups, especially those dedicated to drug trafficking.

According to RASI, group crime, defined as the commission of a crime by three or more suspects, increased by 14.6% in 2023, recording a total of 6,756 incidents, the highest figure since 2014.

Juvenile delinquency, which comprises crimes committed by young people between the ages of 12 and 16, also registered an increase of 8.7%, totaling 1,833, the highest number since 2017.

In the context of group crime, RASI states, the suspects are young people aged between 15 and 25 years old, a phenomenon that has had considerable expression in the Lisbon Metropolitan Area.

“There continue to be some dynamics associated with rivalries between groups from different areas or neighborhoods of the metropolitan area. These conflicts are often referred to in songs and video clips from musical subcultures that feature hyperlocal and hyperpersonal references (specifically to a geographic area, particular occurrence, individual or specific date)”, reads the document, which highlights “the role played by digital , namely social networks, which present themselves as an extension of the group and the neighborhood itself”.

Regarding juvenile delinquency, RASI reports that throughout 2022 and 2023, some investigations and operations carried out by security forces and services were carried out, but even so there must be “a considerable number of black figures (crimes not reported)”.

The document also states that, in the metropolitan area of ​​Lisbon, it is in the municipalities of Loures and Amadora that there are the highest number of incidents and highlights the crime scenes close to shopping centers and intermodal stations, “thus enhancing the repercussion of news in news organizations. social communication and consequent feeling of insecurity”.

“There is also a trend of episodes (some unreported) in educational establishments, probably because the perpetrators know some of the victims’ routines and the establishments they frequent”, highlights the RASI, also giving an account of the groups associated with drug trafficking. , namely groups dedicated to retail sales, with a more localized presence near the main points of sale in the two metropolitan areas of Lisbon and Porto.

The report also indicates that there are a large number of violent and serious incidents on the south bank of the Tagus, mainly the Barreiro area, where there are attacks on physical integrity, kidnapping and kidnapping of individuals associated with drug trafficking.

Crimes linked to drug trafficking and consumption increased by 19.4% in 2023 

Crimes linked to drug trafficking and consumption increased by 19.4% compared to the previous year. RASI also reports a “substantial increase” in criminal drug trafficking activity , as well as in the quantities seized.

RASI records a total of 37,947 kilos of hashish seized (+62.3% compared to the previous year), 21,721 kilos of cocaine (+31.4%), 41 kilos of heroin (-43.5%) and 91,054 units of ecstasy (+47.3%).

Regarding the number of seizures recorded in the 2023 document, hashish leads with 5,806 (+22.4%), followed by cocaine with 2,105 (+4.8%), heroin with 1,073 (- 14, 3%) and ‘ecstasy’ with 807 (+31.2%).

The document highlights “crack” (smoking drug) as having created some social alarm, with an increase in the quantities seized having been recorded in recent years . In 2021, 36.65 kilos were seized in four seizures, the following year 4,925 kilos in 325 seizures and in 2023, 7,113 kilos were seized in 293 seizures.

As for those involved in trafficking and consumption, 9,001 were registered, of which 7,565 ended up being arrested. Among those detained, 6,884 were men, of which 6,098 were aged 21 or over and among them 5,986 were Portuguese nationals. The operations carried out by the police authorities led to the seizure of 4.51 million euros, 16 high-speed boats, 236 light vehicles, 2,344 cell phones and 130 weapons of various types.

The report points out that, similarly to what happens in other countries, it has also been noted in Portugal that different criminal organizations seek to infiltrate existing port and airport infrastructures in the national territory, through the recruitment of workers from different entities, namely service providers.

“The objective is to be able, with the support of such workers, to create what we can call true ‘green lanes’ for the entry of large quantities of drugs into national territory and, concomitantly, into the European space”, highlights the document, which also highlights that, in addition to large-scale trafficking, there is also “an increasing use of postal services and postal parcels, through which criminal organizations deliver drugs to the final consumer (especially synthetic ones)”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

MINISTER OF HEALTH GUARANTEES THAT ALGARVE WILL HAVE A RESPONSE PLAN IN PLACE THIS SUMMER

 

Loulé, Faro, 10 May 2024 (Lusa) – The Minister of Health today acknowledged the existence of a lack of human resources in the pre-hospital emergency in the Algarve for the summer, but assured that a plan is being prepared to guarantee response and safety of users.

Questioned by journalists about the lack of staff at the National Institute of Medical Emergency (INEM), on the side lines of the inauguration of the building of the Algarve regional delegation of that institute, Ana Paula Martins acknowledged the lack of human resources at “various levels”, including medical technicians for pre-hospital emergency.

“It’s true, there are things that are missing from INEM. There was a memorandum made right away, from the day we joined the Ministry of Health, the president of INEM took care to make a very detailed memorandum about all the needs that INEM faces and is facing, and the need to human resources”, he stated.

The minister said that in the coming weeks she should return to the Algarve to work on a plan for the summer, in order to ensure that the lack of human resources, together with professionals’ holidays, does not affect the response that will be given during the busiest period with an influx of visitors and tourists to the region.

The Minister of Health added that there has been a request made for at least 200 technicians since February and March last year, highlighting that the priority now is for the ministry’s services to be able to outline a plan to guarantee the necessary response in the summer.

“And we now have to look at human resources – they are not just facilities, they are human resources – to, within the personnel or human resources maps, to put it better, that we have within the scope of the Ministry of Health, see how we were able to effectively address these needs”, he added.

Ana Paula Martins mentioned that there is also “collaboration with the firefighters” in this context, which the ministry wants “to see maintained and strengthened, and which is also on the table to be reviewed”, which can also contribute to this objective.

“It is a worrying situation and it is a situation that we have to manage – with the region and with those on the ground here in the region – to resolve as quickly as possible”, stressed the minister, revealing that “next week or at the beginning of the week next” will return to the Algarve.

The objective of this next visit is, according to the government official, to draw up “a response plan for these needs” together with the administration and professionals of the Algarve Local Health Unit (ULS), as well as with INEM.

Ana Paula Martins considered that “time is urgent, because summer is now, it’s tomorrow”, but assured that the response will be prepared, “together with the board of directors, and obviously INEM”, for the Algarve to have “a very quickly actioned plan” for the summer.

“But let me also tell you something, ULS and its board of directors have a plan on the table, now they need reinforcements, they need us to be able to attract more human resources so that, during the summer, they can be here to respond to medical and surgical emergencies and that is what we will have to do with the capacity installed in the Algarve”, he concluded.

INEM’s Faro and Quarteira 3 ambulances, the closest to the facilities that the Minister of Health inaugurated today, will be stopped 76% and 78% of the time in May, respectively, according to pre-hospital emergency technicians.

In a statement, the Union of Pre-Hospital Emergency Technicians (STEPH), which carried out a survey of the inoperability rate of INEM ambulances for the month of May, highlights that more than half have “high periods of inoperability”.

From the survey carried out, STEPH concludes that 20 ambulances were more than 50% inoperable during the month of May and that there are ambulances that “have not opened for several months due to a lack of technicians”. In the case of ambulances in Faro and Quarteira 3, the inoperability rates are mainly due to the lack of technicians, according to STEPH.