On social media, attention is drawn to a GNR van with letters in Arabic. Soon the publication multiplied and pointed the finger at immigrants as responsible for an alleged adjustment by the authorities in their favor. SIC Verifies.
The publication, with an image of a GNR van, began in an apparently innocent tone, but with an issue that leaves, between the lines, a correlation with immigration.
“What’s the Why are there GNR vehicles with the word Portugal written in Arabic?“, asks in the caption of the post made on Facebook, but also appears on X.
The image that accompanies this caption has a black background and a capture of a CMTV broadcast. On the bottom, the question arises again as to why a GNR vehicle has “Arabic letters” and, just below, one asks: “Was Portugal sold?”
A is post hundreds of shares were added using expressions such as, for example, “itraitorous invaders”, “Arab Portugal” or “Portugal needs cleaning quickly”implying that the GNR’s motivation will be related to immigrants.
SIC confirmed and the image broadcast was not manipulated. The van in question exists and appears in a live broadcast from the Medialivre group station on April 14th, at 8:04 pmas part of a news story about a disappearance in Coimbra.
However, the existence of this inscription in Arabic, just below the Portuguese flag and the word “Portugal”, It has nothing to do with immigration in Portugal.
To SIC, GNR explains that the GNR Cinotechnical Intervention Group has “a vehicle adapted to different operational contexts, intended for use in international missions within the scope of Frontex“, this being the one circulating on social media. The GNR actively collaborates with Frontex (or European Border and Coast Guard Agency), a “center of excellence” that supports EU and Schengen countries in controlling external borders of the EU and fight against cross-border crime.
In other words, this van integrates missions that take place in “theaters of operations close to Arab countries” therefore “the use of inscriptions in Arabic language — in this specific case with the word ‘PORTUGAL’ — aims to facilitate identification and communication with local populations and authorities, contributing to the effectiveness and safety of operations“.
“Portugal” written in Arabic thus served for this specific context. Already in national territory, “within the framework of efficient management of public resources”, this vehicle can be used “whenever it proves necessaryensuring a quick and effective response to operational requests”.
In addition to the vehicle in question, explains the GNR, “the Intervention and Public Order Group (GIOP) also owns a vehicle with inscriptions in Arabic, namely an armored vehicle (Iveco Protetto)“.
“This vehicle is an armored personnel carrier used in international missions, and was in mission in Iraq, from 2003 to 2005“, he adds.
In addition to the use of these vehicles in an international operational context and in an operational context in national territory, they can also “assume a symbolic character in exhibitions or demonstrations” as is the case with armored vehicle (Iveco Protetto) which, “taking into account the GNR’s history of participation in the ‘Multinational Specialized Unit’ (MSU), integrated into the Garibaldi Brigade, within the scope of ‘Operation Iraqi Freedom'”.
“Nevertheless, your full operability allows its use in national territoryparticularly in patrolling actions or interventions in high-risk areaswhenever the situation justifies“, concludes the authority.
SIC verifies that it is…
The social media post questioning an Arabic inscription on a GNR van generated xenophobic comments, but this registration has nothing to do with immigration in Portugal or with an attempt to adjust national authorities to immigrants. The GNR clarifies that the vehicle is used in international Frontex missions in Arab countries and, therefore, the inscription in Arabic with the word “Portugal” serves to facilitate identification and communication in these contexts.
