Brazilian policy for migrants, refugees, stateless people advanced in 2024

Based on a humanitarian standpoint — receiving and sheltering people who have had to leave their countries for political, social, economic, or religious reasons — Brazil is discussing the establishment of a National Policy on Migration, Refuge and Statelessness (Política Nacional de Migrações, Refúgio e Apatridia). Meanwhile, over recent years, the Federal Government — through its National Secretariat of Justice (Secretaria Nacional de Justiça/ SENAJUS) — has kept up a consistent policy of granting refuge to those in need and repatriating Brazilian citizens from conflict zones.

Brazil’s National Committee for Refugees (Comitê Nacional para Refugiados/ CONARE) had recognized 13,409 requests for refugee status by October 2024. The committee analyzed almost 100% of the ongoing processes with the help of artificial intelligence, which speeded up bureaucratic procedures. By September, the country had received around 143,000 migrants.

However, receiving them is not enough: adequate social and economic conditions must be provided, and rights and dignity must be ensured for these populations. To promote the professional integration of refugees, stateless persons, and holders of humanitarian visas, in May 2024, under the coordination of CONARE, the University of Brasília (UnB) announced the exemption of fees for diploma revalidation.

Migrants who completed their undergraduate or graduate studies in Brazil now have the right to apply for a residence permit for work. Published in September 2024, the National Immigration Council (Conselho Nacional de Imigração/ CNIg) resolution is already in force and works towards aligning migration policies with market and social demands. In addition to providing recent graduates with better placement opportunities locally, this measure ensures that Brazil retains qualified professionals and, consequently, improves the workforce in the domestic market.

Also to integrate and assist migrant and refugee populations in Brazil, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (Ministério da Justiça e Segurança Pública/ MJSP) and the Federation of Muslim Associations of Brazil (Federação das Associações de Muçulmanas do Brasil/ FAMBRAS) signed a cooperation agreement in November to develop and implement technical-scientific projects and courses. At the time, it was decided that this joint effort would promote training and professionalization courses, language support programs, and health care actions.

Brazil's welcoming nature also makes it one of the only countries to grant humanitarian visas to people affected by the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. To strengthen this work, in September 2024, SENAJUS began selecting civil society organizations (CSOs) interested in working in the reception, shelter, and socioeconomic inclusion of this population. So far, four institutions have submitted proposals.

NATIONAL POLICY — The year 2024 was marked by debates on the development of the National Policy on Migration, Refuge, and Statelessness, which will define the role of each agency in promoting rights. A total of 119 preliminary events were held between September 2023 and June 2024, with the participation of 14,000 people, culminating in the 2nd National Conference on Migration, Refuge and Statelessness (2ª Conferência Nacional de Migrações, Refúgio e Apatridia/ COMIGRAR) which took place in Brasília in November. 

The discussions involved civil society representatives, public authorities, international organizations, and universities, as well as migrants, refugees, and stateless persons. As a result, the Federal Government received 60 priority proposals for public policies for migrants, refugees, and stateless persons. The policy is expected to be published by presidential decree in 2025.

TRANSPARENCY — To develop public policies based on updated data, SENAJUS and the Brazilian Observatory of International Migration (Observatório das Migrações Internacionais/ OBMIGRA) have launched a new version of DataMigra BI, a tool that gathers detailed information on migration and refugee flows. The annual OBMIGRA bulletin and the monthly Migration Bulletin complement this initiative.

To increase knowledge about the use of the platform, MJSP and OBMIGRA held two workshops over the year. The first brought together more than 350 participants at the Palace of Justice in Brasília and addressed the practical use and importance of reliable data in policymaking. The second was attended by 80 people at the Immigration Museum in São Paulo and addressed the analysis of data on immigrants in the labor market.

Furthermore, the launch of the situation room at OBMIGRA created a space dedicated to monitoring and planning migration issues. The initiative demonstrates the Federal Government's commitment to developing a migration policy based on transparency. All information is public.

REPATRIATION — In October 2024, when Lebanon was attacked by Israelis, Brazilian citizens who were in the affected areas requested repatriation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. At the time, the Federal Government set up Operation Cedar Roots (Operação Raízes de Cedro) to rescue 2,662 people and 34 pets in 13 flights between October 5 and November 27. The MJSP, through the Department of Migration and with the support of the Federal Police (Polícia Federal/ PF) and the Federal Highway Police (Polícia Rodoviária Federal/ PRF), joined the humanitarian reception task force at Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo. 

The PF teams carried out immigration procedures, with interviews and identification of individual needs to make the necessary referrals. The PRF was responsible for humanitarian logistical support in land transfers from the air base to Guarulhos Airport and to the homes of people who provided an address in São Paulo or to any temporary shelters. 

The United Nations Refugee Organization (UNHCR) and the United Nations Migration Organization (IOM) also worked alongside the teams. They followed protocols for receiving people in conflict zones and provided interpreters.