Unemployed Portuguese seek prosperity in Mozambique

Unemployed Portuguese seek prosperity in Mozambique
Published:  14 Jul at 9 AM
Thousands of Portuguese have quit the troubled country and headed for the former colony of Mozambique, where a booming economy offers the hope of employment and a brighter future.

Portuguese, particularly the young, are leaving a land where unemployment could soon surpass 15 per cent, after the country entered recession in 2011. They have been opting to head to the former colonies of Brazil and Angola, and now Mozambique.

The latter, located towards the south of Africa, is experiencing growth of seven per cent due to a natural resource boom primarily of coal deposits and global significant natural gas.

Roughly 25,000 Portuguese reside in Mozambique – mostly in the capital, Maputo. Arrivals have gone up over the last two years, with the Portuguese consulate currently registering 100 newcomers each month, although not everyone takes the time to sign in. TAP, the Portuguese airline, has put on two times as many flights from Lisbon to Maputo in 2012 in order to meet the demand.

Portuguese emigration dates back to Vasco da Gama. Just 10 million Portuguese live in their homeland, while a further 15 million reside in other countries around the world. Last year, Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho advised unemployed young people to emigrate.