The Regional Under Secretary of the Presidency for External Relations stressed in Ponta Delgada the importance of networking and the partnerships established by the Government of the Azores in "supporting Azorean emigrants who were forced to return to their land of origin."

"The action of the Government of the Azores is based on a strategy of proximity, being coordinated with various associations and organisations in the Region and in the Diaspora. This gives the Government the possibility to support emigrant communities and to deal with issues such the deportation of emigrants and the challenges they face upon arrival to the Azores," said Rodrigo Oliveira. The government official spoke at the Thanksgiving lunch that was offered to deported citizens and their families last Sunday.

Rodrigo Oliveira emphasised the development of the "Returns Platforms," an initiative of the Regional Directorate for Communities that aims "to promote a better communication between all institutions involved the monitoring and integration processes concerning the citizens who were forced to return to the Azores." According to him, the platform will "provide faster and more adequate responses to their difficulties and challenges."

"We have already concluded the first phase of implementation of this tool, through the definition of all action parameters and the creation of an individual integration process. Currently, we are in the final stage of the implementation of the computer platform," revealed the Regional Under Secretary. The government official spoke during this initiative, which was promoted by the Azorean community residing in the east coast of the United States in collaboration with several Azorean organisations.

As the Under Secretary revealed, there has been "a sharp decrease in deportation to the Azores from the United States, Canada and Bermuda in recent years. In 2014, there were only 20 cases, while in the beginning of this decade the figures were three times higher."

"This decrease - which is very positive and hopefully sustained - is the result, among other factors, of the growing awareness of our emigrants for the importance of naturalisation in the host country and of the joint efforts that were undertaken by the Regional Government and various organisations based in the USA and Canada.

Rodrigo Oliveira also praised the collaboration and commitment of the volunteers who took part in the organisation of this event and the associations based in the Diaspora communities and the Region for the implementation of the "Thanksgiving" project," which was brought to the islands of Terceira and São Miguel.

For the Regional Under Secretary, this initiative "aims to "reinforce the emotional ties and the solidarity between both sides of the Atlantic: the characteristics of the Azorean people that neither time nor distance can erase."