The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation will allocate a total of 2.5 million euros to support migrant integration programs. The “Gulbenkian Integration Initiative (2026-2027)” program has applications open until April 10th.
In an interview with DN, Pedro Calado, director of the Civil Society Fund, states that even though it is a polarizing topic today, this is a way of honoring the legacy of the foundation’s founder – who was a refugee and lived in Portugal. It was here that he wrote “I found the peace I needed so much”, in 1942. “I think there is a deep connection between this willingness to discuss immigration and the legacy of the founder”, highlights Calado, who was previously high commissioner of immigration and has many years of experience in the subject.
The initiative comes, according to the person responsible, “as a response to a profound structural transformation of Portuguese society”. Citing the increase in the number of people looking for Portugal to live, he adds that “real challenges for public institutions, services and reception units, in a context in which integration responses have not always kept up with the pace of change”. It is in this context that the project was born, “mobilizing resources and reinforcing responses on the ground that promote fundamental rights and create effective conditions for inclusion”.
Pedro Calado highlights that, in this scenario, it is time to act. “At a time when concern about managing migratory flows coexists with recognition of the importance of integrating those who live and work in Portugal, the foundation understood that this is a time that requires institutional responsibility and commitment to social cohesion”.
Projects that may qualify for support include, for example, learning the Portuguese language and civic training, integration into the job market, access to health, education and the development of personal and professional skills. And that is the foundation’s vision, based on what the founder believed. “Based on the conviction that a more just society is built through practices that promote the inclusion of all communities, in this case, including the integration of immigrants, and embracing the idea that societies are founded on mutual knowledge and the full participation of all people and communities”he argues.
For the director, immigration today is “unavoidable” in contemporary Portugal. “It is a structural and unavoidable dimension of contemporary Portuguese society. Immigrants are essential to the functioning of the economy, contribute to demographic sustainability and enrich the country’s cultural fabrics. In a context of population aging and labor shortages, their contribution is decisive”, he details.
The director recalls that there are examples from other countries that show the cost of non-integration. “Territorial marginalization, academic failure, persistent job insecurity or the absence of participation channels fuel distrust and social fragmentation. These costs fall on the entire society”highlights.
Regarding the host community, she says she hopes to play an active role. “We expect Portuguese citizens to play an active role, not just as indirect recipients of integration policies, but as protagonists of solutions. It has been identified that regular, collaborative contact and under equal conditions between different groups is one of the most effective instruments for reducing prejudice and strengthening mutual trust.” In addition to the administrative issue, the former high commissioner emphasizes that “integration is built with administrative measures; but, essentially in everyday life, at school, in the workplace, in the neighborhood, in local associations”.
At the end of the project, he hopes to “see a Portuguese society more capable of integration, where diversity translates into greater mutual trust and more opportunities for participation”.
amanda.lima@dn.pt
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