Portugal's Estoril Conferences calls for global passport for refugees

Portugal's Estoril Conferences Wednesday called on the United Nations (UN) and its member states to create a global passport for refugees enabling them safe passage.

"The Global Safety Passport (GSP) aims to assure an orderly and legal journey for all those escaping and seeking international protection, avoiding trafficking networks, unsafe journeys, overloaded vessels and cross-border risks," reads the statement of the biennial event on globalization challenges.

The fifth edition of the Estoril Conferences focusing on migration issues took place in Estoril, 25 km west of Lisbon, from Monday to Wednesday, with over 100 speakers and at least 600 attendees.

"We are here to change the world, and we don't want anything less," said Teresa Violante, executive president of Estoril Conferences, adding that it was necessary to mitigate the need for asylum seekers to put their lives at risk.

The conferences to discuss migration take place as the world faces the highest number of displaced people in history, surpassing 65 million people, prompting a political backlash in industrialized countries.