New order of day redraws map of migrations

New order of day redraws map of migrations

Phenomenon is among the topics covered in two recently released atlases

Farewells, departures and arrivals, endings and new beginnings: words that are part of the vocabulary of those who leave their country of origin to live somewhere else, in ways that are not always planned or desired. If migratory movements in the 20th century were driven by conflicts and wars, in the 21st century other reasons explain the phenomenon. Among these new motivations is what Professor Rosana Baeninger, from the Department of Demography at the Institute of Philosophy and Human Sciences (IFCH) at Unicamp and researcher at the Center for Population Studies “Elza Berquó” (NEPO), calls the “new configuration of the world of work.”

“Current international migration represents a component of global transformation and, as [Guy] Standing argues, the driving force behind this transformation is new forms of labor market integration, where there is uncertainty about employment, which is always temporary and precarious. States and nations no longer guarantee full employment and there is uncertainty about whether there will be formal employment,” says Baeninger.

In Brazil, the story is no different. According to the professor, it is no longer appropriate to say that the migration process here occurs only for internal reasons. “We have to place the country in the global context of these transformations. The explanations about who arrives and who leaves are not limited to Brazil, but are part of this complex migratory phenomenon of human mobility permeated by transformation processes in the world of work, in addition to conflicts and wars.”

To identify and understand this phenomenon, Nepo recently released two new volumes of Thematic Atlas: Observatory of Brazilian Emigration, both coordinated by Baeninger. The project, which comprises 11 volumes, seeks to map the different migratory movements in Brazil. The works, prepared based on the analysis of several databases, seek to systematize information on migration and make it accessible, contributing to the understanding of the socioeconomic and political aspects that drive migratory flows.

“Between 2008 and 2012, the project was developed exclusively within the scope of the Migration Observatory in São Paulo. Starting in 2018, we established a partnership with the Labor Prosecutor's Office, motivated by the identification of numerous cases of immigrants in situations analogous to slavery, which required detailed knowledge about the migratory situation. In this context, the thematic atlases emerged, and, in the same period, we began to have access to the Federal Police database on foreign immigrants present in Brazil,” said the researcher.

The two new volumes, released in October, make up a trilogy. The first, with the subtitle Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries (CPLP), deals with the entry into Brazil, in the last 24 years, of foreigners from Portuguese-speaking countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor. The second volume, with the subtitle Main Destination Countries, covers the migratory movements that Brazilians made between 1990 and 2020 towards different locations. The last volume, scheduled to be released by the end of the year, will address the migratory movements between the CPLP countries as a whole.

According to the professor, in addition to the new order of the world of work, it is important to observe the position of Brazil, one of the leading countries in the Global South, on the international scene and how political choices and international relations contribute to both immigration and emigration.

“We need to observe Brazil’s repositioning in international geopolitics, something that is greatly influenced by bilateral agreements. This new positioning, especially in the context of work, means that Brazilian migration is no longer limited to historical destinations – such as Portugal, Italy, Spain, Japan and the United States – and is expanding to more than 150 countries around the world.”

Whether in Brazil or elsewhere, such movements are part of the complexity of the migratory phenomenon, in which destinations are divided between possible and desired countries. The same happens with immigrants in their destinations, according to Baeninger. “The world is divided between desired and unwanted immigrants.”

Lusophony route

The first volume of the atlas trilogy comes at a time when mobility agreements between Portuguese-speaking countries are undergoing a review process. “The launch of the CPLP atlas comes at a strategic time, aligned with a resolution that simplifies the granting of visas between Portuguese-speaking countries,” explains the professor. The CPLP visa, mentioned by Baeninger, makes it easier for citizens of these countries to apply for entry and stay in Brazil.

“It is essential to understand the changes in migration patterns, as we have observed with Angolans, who migrated from being asylum seekers to being CPLP visa applicants in Brazil. We also need to consider the limitations imposed, such as the restriction on movement in Portuguese territory determined by the European Union, even for holders of a CPLP visa obtained in Portugal,” says the researcher.

The publication compiles historical data on gender, color/race, age group, region, occupation, geographic distribution, education, marital status and residence, facilitating the understanding of who the Portuguese-speaking foreigners in Brazil are and the reasons that led them to make this decision. Baeninger highlights that, in the top ranking of occupations declared by these immigrants, are those of academic professor and student, a reflection of the profile of the agreements established by Brazil with these countries.

“From a political perspective, it is important to realize that the Global North restricts the entry of immigrants from the Global South, making Brazil a ‘buffer country’ in the global migration scenario. The country receives flows that the Global North, particularly the United States, does not want,” the researcher analyzes. “However, this condition is temporary. Many initially arrive with corporate work visas, but resort to applying for asylum in order to remain. This is a recent phenomenon that characterizes the beginning of the 21st century and suggests that Brazil, despite providing some type of documentation, is not the desired final destination.”

single registration

A significant innovation in the latest volumes of the atlas is the use of data from the Single Registry for Social Programs (CadÚnico), a government registry that identifies low-income families in Brazil. The survey reveals that 415 immigrants live in vulnerable situations in the country, forming part of families that benefit from social programs. This number represents approximately one-third of the total number of immigrants in the country.

The analysis of data from CadÚnico, combined with other sources of information, revealed a particular phenomenon regarding emigrants who returned from Portugal. Upon identifying the presence of a significant number of Portuguese in this registry, Baeninger found that they were mainly descendants of Brazilians who returned to the country in precarious conditions, requiring social assistance.

“Many Brazilians who return from Portugal face a vulnerable situation. The atlas shows a significant number of Portuguese people in CadÚnico, but this actually refers to children of Brazilians born in Portugal, not Portuguese immigrants. This phenomenon does not occur with the same intensity among Angolans or Mozambicans, as there are not as many Brazilians born in these countries.” For the researcher, the issue of Brazilians returning to their country of origin represents yet another phenomenon to be analyzed by the government when it comes to knowing how to deal with the new waves of migration and return.

Abroad

To explain migratory movements, Baeninger uses the metaphor of a river: “A migratory flow is like a watercourse that opens up new paths and creates connections. When a migratory movement is established, driven by a certain context in the past, it can branch out into other flows over time.” This reflection is included in the introduction to the second volume of the atlas, which mapped 150 destinations chosen by Brazilians to migrate between 1990 and 2020.

Italy, Spain, Portugal and Japan are examples of ties created in the 19th and 20th centuries, when Brazil received a large number of European and Japanese immigrants, who today are becoming a growing number of Brazilians living in these countries. One of the elements that facilitates this phenomenon is the form of citizenship application, especially in the case of Italy. Obtaining European citizenship can also be a strategy, Baeninger points out, for the emigrant to reach a third country. “Many Brazilians obtain Italian citizenship and go to the United States.”

The demographic decline, on the other hand, means that some countries are willing to accept certain immigrants. In Spain, this flow began in the 1990s with the workforce in the secondary labor market, especially for women. In Portugal, Baeninger draws attention to the fourth wave of Brazilians, the so-called scientific diaspora, in which doctors and post-doctors from here find better job opportunities on the other side of the Atlantic.

In recent years, a similar movement has been taking place in the Nordic countries, the professor says. Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden have become the new home for highly qualified Brazilians working in the area of ​​science and technology.

In the case of Japan, the policy adopted in the 1990s to attract descendants of Japanese people to work in factories allowed for the establishment of closer and more lasting ties. “This flow was the most documented. And they could only stay for the period in which they were going to work at the company. Not today. Today the visa is for ten years. So even if they are not entrepreneurs, they can come and go, because they have already created a completely different migratory network there.”

In the case of Japan, one characteristic remains: the supply of unskilled labor predominates. “Today, the profile is of qualified Brazilians, but going to work as unskilled labor, in the service sector and in industry.”

The increase in the flow of migrants to China represents a global phenomenon, says the Nepo researcher. “Brazilians will continue to move to China in the coming years. When there is international investment of resources, as Saskia Sassen explains, there is a response from international migration.”

On the African continent, South Africa stands out in the atlas. More recently, an agreement between Brazil and the African country eliminated the need for a visa. For Baeninger, this is a new door that opens between the countries, enabling the materialization of the river metaphor.

In Latin America, the dream of living in the United States has led many Brazilians to Central American countries and Mexico, places closer to their desired destination. Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico are experiencing a trend of increasing immigration. Mexico, being a large country, attracts many Brazilians to management positions as well, and the same occurs in wealthier countries in the south of the continent, such as Argentina and Chile.

On the other hand, two South American countries are attracting attention due to the growing trend in the number of Brazilian immigrants: Suriname and, above all, French Guiana. Among the reasons for this phenomenon is the fact that Brazilians can easily cross the border by water to work in the mines, many of which are illegal, in these regions.

Future in sight

For Baeninger, the international migration scenario may undergo significant changes in the coming years. “With the victory of [Donald] Trump [President-elect of the United States], we will see an intensification of deportations, as already announced by Trump himself, and an increase in routes for irregular immigration, given the strong restrictions. Brazil promises to be one of the stopping points on these routes, as we have seen with Vietnamese, Afghans and others.” This trend reflects a possible reconfiguration of global migration flows, with developing countries taking on increasingly important roles as transit points.

In this context, Brazil's role as a transit territory – a “possible country” – tends to be consolidated. “In the Global South, Brazil will tend to receive many other nationalities as a ‘possible country’. Therefore, there will be an increase in the number of ‘waiting migrants’ seeking to complete their migration project towards the Global North, at the cost of many lives in dangerous and violent crossings.”