The Sousa Mendes visa recipients arrived in Portugal at Vilar Formoso. There, they received instructions from the authorities as to where they would be permitted to stay. They were assigned to "fixed residences" in towns and villages throughout the country and were required to relinquish their passports in exchange for ID cards issued by the PVDE (political police). The map shows the towns where we have been able to identify specific Sousa Mendes visa recipients as having resided. Some refugees stayed only a short time before finding ship passage and onward visas to the United States or other final destinations, while others waited in Portugal for a year or longer. As a group, the refugees were greeted with warmth and generosity by the Portuguese population.