Wave of Portuguese emigrants fleeing Venezuela takes toll on Madeira

A wave of Portuguese emigrants fleeing Venezuela for Madeira has taken a significant toll on the island’s welfare system in recent months.

Since the beginning of this year around 1,000 Portuguese who had been living in Venezuela signed on at Madeira’s job centres.

Local authorities claim requests for help with social housing, medicine and food benefits have also grown noticeably, while expenditure on health services has risen by half a million euros in five months.

The emigrants are fleeing the economic, political and social instability currently gripping the South American country.

