Events
Experts conjecture that with the pandemic and the war, Brazil will become the best option for refugees and immigrants
There are currently 1.3 million immigrants residing in Brazil and 57,099 recognized refugees.
The VI ABEMMI Virtual Summit 2022, held on the 18th and 19th of May, by the Brazilian Association of Specialists in Migration and International Mobility (ABEMMI), had 700 subscribers and promoted the debate between global mobility specialists, who highlighted that we are experiencing concerns of the past, such as those experienced during the Spanish flu and cold war, which have transformed the global mobility sector, bringing more refugees and immigrants to Brazil.
The pandemic caused by Covid-19, caused the closure of borders, inhibiting the robust economic movement of the Global Mobility sector, impacting the entire market. In addition to the pandemic, the recent conflicts in Venezuela and also the Russian War against Ukraine, are events that have brought many immigrants and refugees to the country, generating economic disruptions that impact the whole world, as well as reinforcing humanitarian issues and the call for that countries welcome these people with open arms.
“The pandemic also generated the forced immigration of those who did not have access to vaccines and treatments and found themselves threatened”, commented the panelist of the event, Dr. Luiz Alberto Matos, general coordinator of Labor Immigration at the Ministry of Justice and Public Security.
According to Victor Del Vecchio, a professor and commentator on International Politics and Human Rights, who is also a panelist at the event, the war has shaken the Europeans' notion of security.
“Europe was the center of peace and now that has been shaken. I know people who are there wanting to come here and people who are here and want to stay, so I would guess an increase in Brazilian naturalization”, said Victor about the perspective for the future.
Currently, 1.3 million immigrants reside in Brazil, according to data from the Ministry of Justice and Public Security, in addition to 57,099 recognized refugees, according to data released by the National Committee for Refugees (CONARE). However, the hiring of these people, especially refugees, does not happen often in the Brazilian market, requiring the implementation of programs to do so.
“Last year, together with the World Bank, we carried out a report on the process of integration of refugees in Brazil, which pointed out that, on average, a refugee from Venezuela has higher education than a Brazilian, but still he has little access to work”, explained the minister. panelist Dr Paulo Sérgio Almeida, livelihoods officer at UNHCR Brazil, the UN refugee agency.
During the VI ABEMMI Virtual Summit 2022, in the panel Refugees - regularization and insertion in the labor market, Grevisse Mulamba Kalala, Management Assistant in Brazilian Migration by the Franciscan Solidarity Service - SEFRAS of the Reference and Assistance Center for Immigrants - CRAI, was invited to list the reasons for companies to hire refugees, according to Grevisse, the question that must be asked is: why not?
“The first thing to think about is: we are hiring a professional, he is a refugee, but he is a professional, he is not poor thing. He is a professional like every Brazilian, only his state is different. He will add within a company, many even have a postgraduate degree, you will be generating inclusion, but he will also add to the work related to his training” reflected Grevisse.
The event promoted by ABEMMI aimed to stimulate the debate on global mobility in times of war and post-pandemic, in addition to promoting knowledge, updates and networking.