Jobless Portuguese emigrate to Angola in hoards

As reported by The Independent, recession-struck Portugal is seeing many of its citizens emigrating to Angola to seek jobs. The Angolan consulate in Alcantara reports that it is currently processing an annual average of over 20,000 Portuguese immigration papers.

The recession has come to stay, says Portuguese journalist Ricardo Bordalo from the Lusa news agency. Residing in Angola from 2008 to 2011, Mr Bordalo watched the population size of his compatriots rise from 20,000 to 130,000.

After the Angolan war, the nation was completely destroyed and needed people, said the expat. Even before independence, there were thousands of Portuguese already living in Angola, which explains the special relationship between the two nations. However, it is not easy to obtain a visa, says Mr Bordalo. Portuguese emigrant hopefuls must "suffer a little bit", he jokes.

One expat hopeful interviewed at the consulate, who wished to remain anonymous, said it was "impossible" to find jobs in Portugal, even for electrical engineers like himself. He said his wife held an MA in psychology, but her organisation closed down and left her unemployed.

The work which is left pays very poorly, he said. People like his wife are now earning €600 per month, while many graduates are finding work in call centres selling things, he added.