Off the wire
• Discus queen Perkovic dominates again in Doha  • Woody Allen's Irrational Man screened at Cannes  • Former world champ Jackson sets 400mH world leading time in Doha  • Germany stresses support as Lebanon faces Syrian refugee challenge  • Spanish stock market falls 0.71 pct  • Portuguese opposition slams new controversial warnings on cigarette packs  • 3rd LD-Writethru China focus: Chinese premier says talks with India's Modi "meet expectations," 24 deals signed  • UN official urges Southeast Asia gov'ts to protect migrant lives  • UNESCO calls for protection of world heritage endangered by extremism  • UN Council adopts draft report on U.S. human rights  
You are here: 　 Home

Portuguese PM urges young people to return to reverse "brain drain" crisis

Xinhua, May 16, 2015 Adjust font size:

Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva on Friday called on Portuguese youngsters to return to their home country.

"It is essential for us to create conditions to attract those who for diverse reasons, opted to base themselves abroad," he said, Portuguese News Agency Lusa reported.

Cavaco Silva added that the country risked losing investment in the younger generation's "excellent education" and that this lost talent could help Portugal return to a "sustainable path of economic growth."

Thousands of young Portuguese people have left the country since 2011, when the country signed a 78 billion euros (89.15 billion U.S. dollars) bailout with its international creditors, a phenomenon dubbed "brain drain," which has concerned analysts and sparked criticism among opposition parties.

According to data released in August last year by the Portuguese National Institute of Statistics (INE), Portugal has lost half a million young people between the age of 15 and 29 in the last decade. Endit