Under the dictatorship of António Oliviera Salazar, Portugal was never a land of exile during the Nazi era. Although there were a few exceptions, from the outset the authoritarian regime was massively opposed to the influx of immigrants and refugees.

The capital city of Lisbon and its port not only provided a connection to the colonial power of Portugal's overseas territories, but was also the most important economic hub for trade with England and America. This led to efforts towards neutrality and, after the start of World War II, the country could not afford to upset either the Western powers or Germany. In letters, reports and autobiographies many émigrés described the coexistence of American and Jewish organisations with German embassies and Gestapo officials.

In 1940, with the occupation of the Benelux countries and the west coast of France by the Germans, Lisbon became the last free mainland port with direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. According to estimates 40,000 to 50,000 refugees and exiles fled through Portugal in the years 1940 and 1941. To ensure that the émigrés left the country quickly, the Portuguese authorities issued transit papers subject to the conditions of a valid ticket of passage and an entry visa for the country of destination.

Numerous humanitarian aid organisations such as HICEM and the Unitarian Service Committee operated in Lisbon and supported the refugees with money, accommodation and food as well as in the management of travel arrangements. The Emergency Rescue Committee, which assisted persecuted writers and artists in leaving the country, also worked closely with local organisations. However, they were beset with major logistical problems. The crowds on the ships and the Pan American World Airways Clipper, which also departed from Lisbon to New York, were difficult to deal with and passages by ship and flights were usually fully booked for weeks with the result that Lisbon soon became known as the "waiting room of Europe".

Further reading:
Heine Teixeira, Christina: Wartesaal Lissabon 1940–1941. Deutschsprachige Exilliteratur seit 1933. Band 3 USA. Herausgegeben von John M. Spalek, Konrad Feilchenfeldt und Sandra H. Hawrylchak. Teil 3. Bern und München: K. G. Saur Verlag 2002. S. 441–481