The Municipality of Vila Nova de Famalicão is marking this Friday, February 24, the first year of the war in Ukraine, with the symbolic raising of the Ukrainian flag in the Paços do Concelho building.
On 24 February 2022, the world awoke to the news of the Russian military invasion of eastern Ukraine. Since then, the municipality of Famalicão has already welcomed around two hundred Ukrainian citizens. They are mostly women with one or two children and already represent one of the largest foreign communities in the municipality.
Of the 197 Ukrainian citizens who arrived in Famalicão, 29 decided to return to Ukraine and Poland, 35 moved to other municipalities, countries, and 133 decided to stay in the famalicense municipality.
Professional integration continues to be a priority - 32 Ukrainian citizens have already returned to work - as well as educational responses for the younger generation - 28 children have already returned to school and 17 have been inserted in nurseries and pre-primary institutions in the municipality.
Learning and reinforcing the Portuguese language is also another concern in terms of welcoming and integrating this community. At this level, the municipality, through the Centro Qualifica of Famalicão, and the Camilo Castelo Branco Secondary School, have already provided classes in Portuguese as the "Host Language".
It is worth reminding that the City Hall of Vila Nova de Famalicão has made available a direct support line to the Ukrainian community living in the municipality and to Ukrainians arriving in Famalicão due to the military conflict, creating the conditions for them to receive the support measures launched by the municipality in terms of solidarity, reception and integration.
Soon after the beginning of the military conflict, it should be remembered that the City Hall announced the activation, as a matter of urgency, of a vast set of solidarity responses duly concerted with the representative entities of the Ukraine, with the Ukrainian community living in Famalicão and with the institutional and civic fabric of the territory for a solid and effective response to the real needs of this community.
The City Council approved the amendment to its Regulatory Code on Granting Support to provide an immediate social response to Ukrainian citizens arriving in the municipality due to the Russian offensive in the country.
All this action is being coordinated and promoted by the Department of Interculturalism and Integration. The hotline has the following telephone numbers: 932 018 305, 911 758 036 and 911 733 495 and the email ucrania@famalicao.pt.