São Paulo – Brazil made progress in 2024 in its policy towards migrants, refugees, and stateless persons. A statement from the federal government released on Monday (30) lists a series of advancements in this direction, such as the National Committee for Refugees (Conare) having recognized 13,409 refugee status requests by October this year, and the country having received approximately 143,000 migrants by September.
The statement goes on to say that in recent years, through the National Secretariat of Justice (Senajus), the federal government has consistently maintained its policy of granting refugee status and repatriating Brazilians from conflict zones. The country adheres to a humanitarian position of receiving and sheltering people who have had to leave their country of origin due to political, social, economic, or religious reasons.
Actions have also been taken to improve the living conditions of these populations in Brazil. Among other initiatives, migrants who have completed their undergraduate or postgraduate studies in Brazil now have the right to apply for work residence permits. The country’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security and the Federation of Muslim Associations in Brazil (Fambras) signed a cooperation agreement to develop and implement technical and scientific projects and courses for refugees and migrants.
National policy for refugees
According to the government, 2024 was marked by debates for the development of the National Migration, Refuge, and Statelessness Policy, which will define the role of each agency in promoting rights in this area. There were 119 preparatory events held from September 2023 to June 2024, attended by 14,000 people, that culminated in the 2nd National Conference on Migration, Refuge, and Statelessness (Comigrar) in November.
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Translated by Guilherme Miranda