Facing an “Invasion of Undesirables"

The Worsening of the Restrictions on Entering Portugal – From the Annexation of Austria until the End of Legal Emigration from Nazi Germany

Autores

  • Ansgar Schaefer Integrated researcher at the Institute of Contemporary History of FCSH-UNL, having as main research areas, in addition to cinema and history, political-diplomatic relations between the Estado Novo and Hitler’s Germany. His PhD thesis was on the relationship between history and the historical documentary. He also works as a producer and director of cinematographic documentaries.

Resumo

The article analyzes the range of actions enacted by Portuguese diplomacy and the political police force to prevent the arrival of refugees, whether from Germany or other Nazi occupied countries. While up until November 1938 German citizens, including German Jews, were free to enter the country for a period of up to 30 days, the outbreak of the Second World War brought a series of restrictions enacted with one objective: keep Jewish refugees out of Portugal. Based on the case of two sisters, Flora and Bela Rothschild, this article confronts the true significance of these restrictions through the effects of a purely legalistic policy on the lives of human beings.

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Publicado

2024-09-30

Edição

N.º 149 (2018): Europe and Refugees

Secção

Artigos