São Paulo – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (Unhcr) included information in Arabic in two textbooks targeted at people in a refugee status in Brazil. The language was added to the Textbook for Refugee Solicitors in Brazil (Cartilha de Solicitantes de Refúgio no Brasil, in Portuguese) and the Textbook for refugees in Brazil (Cartilha para Refugiados no Brasil).
According to information from the Unhcr, the increase in the number of Arabic-speaking refugees arriving in Brazil has caused the language to be included in the editions of the textbook this year.
“Most of the arriving Arab refugees are Syrian, due to the conflict which is taking place in Syria. However, besides that, we also have people coming from Lebanon. This is happening because Lebanon is being affected by the crisis in Syria”, said Andrés Ramirez, representative of Unhcr in Brazil, via email.
According to data from the National Committee for Refugees (Conare), linked to the Ministry for Justice, since 2012 Brazil has received 526 Syrians and 360 Lebanese who obtained refugee status here. At present, there are other 39 Syrians and 23 Lebanese whose refugee requests are under analysis.
In the end of March, the Unhcr informed that the total of Syrian refugees in the country at that moment was 333 people, but that there was a steep increase, as informed by an article published by ANBA on the 31st.
Besides Arabic, the information is available in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. According to the Unhcr, these are the languages most spoken by the refugee solicitors who arrive in Brazil.
In the textbook for solicitors, there is, for instance, important information such as the fact that it is not possible to ask for refuge being outside Brazilian territory and that the request can be made for the family group that accompanies the solicitor.
In the document targeted at people who have already been granted refugee status, there is data on how to request a work permit and permanent residence and how to obtain social and legal assistance.
At the end of both textbooks, there are phone numbers of important governmental bodies such as Federal Police, Conare and the National Immigration Council (CNIg), among others.
To download the Textbook for Refugee Solicitors in Brazil, click on the link http://migre.me/iNzfe.
To download the Textbook for Textbook for refugees in Brazil, click on the link http://migre.me/iNzgs.
*Translated by Rodrigo Mendonça
