Santos Silva is against the closure of borders and reminds that Ireland does not belong to Schengen

Minister hopes Ireland will evolve in a "less restrictive direction"

The Minister of Foreign Affairs said today that the measures to combat Covid-19 do not involve closing borders, recalling that Ireland, which imposed a quarantine on those returning from Portugal, does not belong to the Schengen Area.

“Ireland does not belong to the Schengen Area and is not subject to the free movement obligations that it binds in the member countries of the Schengen Area, and the list that Ireland has submitted [of countries whose travelers are exempt from quarantine upon arrival in Ireland] is very long. restrictive ”, Augusto Santos Silva told journalists at the end of the opening session of the 5th Meeting of the Portuguese Education Network Abroad (EPE).

The Dublin Government published today a 'green list' of 13 countries whose travelers are exempt from quarantine on arrival in Ireland and which excludes countries such as Portugal, Spain, France and the neighboring UK.

Out of the Irish list was also the United States, whose visitors must continue to restrict movement when arriving at any port or airport on the island with a 14-day self-isolation period.

“We work with the Irish authorities at the political and technical level. The Irish authorities have all the information related to the pandemic in Portugal ”, he said.

According to Augusto Santos Silva, the two countries present indicators that are not very different from each other and are very similar in terms of new cases, with Portugal with more favorable results in terms of deaths.

"Let's hope that Ireland can evolve in a less restrictive sense and that its list includes other countries," he said.

The minister said that diplomacy will continue to do its job, although it does not equate the case of Ireland with other member countries of the Schengen Area.

He added: "Ireland, being a member of the European Union, is included in the general orientation that our ministers for the internal administration approved in June for the general opening of the internal borders of the EU, as a step prior to the opening of the external borders".

"Portugal did this and still does not understand how other European countries do not do the same," he declared.

Augusto Santos Silva underlined that "all measures that fight the spread of the virus" - such as wearing masks, social distance, hygiene measures - can be applied "without sacrificing freedom of movement".

"None of this has to do with closing borders," he concluded.

 



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