Snapshot of Brazilian Emigrants to OECD and Latin American Countries - OECD 2009
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This document discusses Brazilian migration trends and patterns. It notes that Brazil has historically received immigrants but has more recently seen extensive emigration, particularly to the United States, Japan, and Portugal since the 1980s. There is variation in education levels among Brazilian emigrants, from low levels in Paraguay to medium levels in Europe and Japan and high levels in the United States. The document also examines occupational profiles and uses of remittances for Brazilian emigrants in different destination countries.
Snapshot of Brazilian Emigrants to OECD and Latin American Countries - OECD 2009
- 1. brazil Figure 1. Stock of Migrants and Level of Education of Brazilian Emigrants to OECD and Latin American Countries Japan 199 585 157 870 73 681 45 185 34 848 166 439 677 608 United States Japan Paraguay Portugal Italy Others Total 211 858 66 718 54 596 42 293 25 759 249 935 651 160 Portugal Japan Italy Spain Argentina Others Total Stock of immigrants in Brazil (Persons aged 15 or over, 2000) Stock of Brazilian emigrants in OECD and Latin American countries (Persons aged 15 or over, circa 2000) Proportion of Brazilian emigrants with completed secondary or higher education (Persons aged 25 or over, circa 2000) 0% - 46% 46% - 62% 62% - 100% Workers’ Remittances (USD million, 2007) Inflows Outflows 2 809 (0.21% GDP) 514 (0.04% GDP) Note: This Figure reports the stock of migrants recorded in national censuses and workers’ remittances in balance-of-payments data. It will therefore not reflect unrecorded formal or informal flows, which may be material. Source: For details on definitions and sources, please refer to the Statistical Annex. Brazil At various moments in history, Brazil has welcomed different waves of immigrants. Nevertheless, over recent decades Brazilians from all walks of life have started to emigrate to other countries in search of economic opportunities. ISBN: 978-92-64-07521-4 - © OECD 2009 217 Extensive emigration of Brazilians is a relatively recent phenomenon. Emigration to the United States, Japan, and Portugal started in the second half of the 1980s and is still rising. The Brazilian population has been influenced by distinct waves of immigrants, from European countries particularly Portugal, Italy and Spain, as well as from Japan and its Latin American neighbours. There is a high degree of variation in educational attainment among Brazilian emigrants. Educational levels of Brazilians now in Paraguay are typically low, they are medium in European countries and Japan, and high among those in the United States.
- 2. ISBN: 978-92-64-07521-4 - © OECD 2009 218 Migration History and Policy Developments Historically Brazil has been a country of destination, influenced by successive waves of immigrants. Some early initiatives as Decree No. 80 (1824) and governmental programmes providing grants for the travel costs of immigrants promoted the growth of communities of European migrants. The abolition of slavery in 1888 led the economy to experience a labour shortage, particularly felt in the coffee plantations. The legal response was Decree No. 528 (1890) which regulated the entrance of immigrants to Brazil, favouring European flows. Brazil’s main countries of origin at the end of the 19th century were Portugal, Italy, Spain and Germany. In the early years of the 20th century immigration continued to be intense, and Japanese migration started. However, the 1929 economic crisis was sharply felt, particularly, in the Brazilian coffee industry and the consequent unemployment led to the introduction of tighter restrictions on immigration. Decree No. 19 482 (1930) suspended all immigration for one year and the Quotas Law established in the Constitution of 1934 and reinforced in 1937 limited annual immigration from any individual country to 2% of the average level over the previous 50 years. The period extending from the end of World War II to the end of the 1970s saw significant economic growth. Immigration policies again became more flexible, but still privileged European inflows (regulated by Decree No. 7 967 of 1945). At the same time, under the government of Getulio Vargas (1930-45 and 1951-54), migrants were encouraged to assimilate into Brazilian culture with the objective of building a single Brazilian identity. At present, Brazil is an attractive destination for Latin Americans from various socio-economic and educational backgrounds, particularly following the creation of Mercosur in 1991. Immigration in Brazil is currently regulated by Law No. 6 815 (1980) and Decree No. 86 715 (1981), which establish the National Immigration Council as the agency responsible for implementing migration policy and issuing visas and work permits. More recent measures have prioritised entry permits for those who have attended at least secondary education. The last three decades have seen Brazil move from being a country of destination to one of origin. The economic crises in the 1980s and 1990s were factors in this. The most recent census counted more than 670 000 Brazilians living abroad, but official figures from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimate the total number at more than 2 million in 2008. Their main destinations are the United States, Japan and Paraguay, and to a lesser extent the countries of the European Union. In response the Brazilian government has taken some steps towards strengthening its links with communities abroad. The network Brasileiros no Mundo aims to improve the conditions of Brazilians abroad through a dialogue with the government in Brazil. LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2010
- 3. ISBN: 978-92-64-07521-4 - © OECD 2009 BRAZIL Labour Market Brazilian emigration flows are best analysed as a series of specific subsystems, according to the country of destination and the socio-historical context. Figure 2 shows the occupational profile of employed Brazilians in three main destinations: United States, Japan and Paraguay. There are clear differences between the three. While the bulk of immigrants in Japan and Paraguay are concentrated in few activities, Brazilians in the United States cover a broader spectrum of sectors. Figure 2. Distribution of Brazilian Emigrants by Activity in Three Main Destinations (Circa 2000, percentage of total Brazilian emigrants in employment) TRADE TRADE HOTEL MANUF CONST MANUF TRANS SSERV SSERV AGRIC OTHER OTHER OTHER 0 20 40 60 80 100 United States Japan Paraguay Men TRADE TRADE HOTEL MANUFHEALT MANUF HOUSESSERV SSERV AGRIC OTHER OTHER OTHER 0 20 40 60 80 100 United States Japan Paraguay Women Percentage Percentage Note: Sectors of activity are recorded according to the International Standard Industrial Classification, Rev. 3. The following abbreviations are used AGRIC: Agriculture and fisheries; CONST: Construction; HEALT: Health and social work; HOTEL: Hotels and restaurants; HOUSE: Employment in private households; MANUF: Manufacturing; SSERV: Other community, social and personal service activities; and TRADE: Wholesale and retail trade. TRANS: Transport, storage and communication. Source: OECD Development Centre calculations, based on OECD (2008), Database on Immigrants in OECD countries for the United States, the Japanese Statistics Bureau for Japan and the 2000 round of national censuses for Latin America (processed with ECLAC Redatam+SP on-line). 12 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/716740672601 Brazilian migration to Paraguay started in the 1960s. These immigrants (known as Brasiguayos) are normally landowners in the border regions of Paraguay. Among males, agriculture is the main activity, while domestic service and trade are particularly relevant for women. The emigration of Brazilians to Japan is closely linked to the earlier flows in the opposite direction and comprises mostly descendants of those former immigrants. Brazilian workers in Japan (known as Dekasseguis) enter the country legally through Japanese employment agencies based in Brazil or by using their personal networks (CGEE, 2008). The majority are employed in manufacturing: 64% across both sexes, of which 88% are production workers. In contrast to Brazilians in Paraguay and Japan, migrants in the United States show a mixed profile. The presence of Brazilians is notable in sectors such as personal services, health, hotels and restaurants, construction and trade. The higher educational level observed for Brazilians in the United States compared to other destinations is consistent with their increasing presence in professional occupations (nearly 29% of Brazilians in the country). More than 81% of emigrants to the United States have completed secondary or higher education, and 39% have university or equivalent technical studies. 219
- 4. LATIN AMERICAN ECONOMIC OUTLOOK 2010 ISBN: 978-92-64-07521-4 - © OECD 2009 220 Relationship with the Country of Origin and Integration in the Host Country Although remittances represent only 0.21% of GDP, Brazil is an important remittance-receiving country in absolute terms. Remittance inflows in 2007 surpassed USD 2.8 billion. Remittance outflows were less than 0.04% of GDP. Figure 3. Principal Use of Remittances in Brazil, 2004 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50% Other Housing Savings Commercial investment Education Consumption Source: IDB/MIF (2004a). 12 http://dx.doi.org/10.1787/716806527852 In 2004, the IDB conducted a survey to study the profile of the recipients of remittances in Brazil (IDB/MIF, 2004a). It concluded that the recipients of remittances in Brazil were predominantly families belonging to low and medium income groups and with relatively low educational level (35 and 44% of respondents had attained only primary or secondary education, respectively). The survey also indicated how migrants’ families use the remittances they receive (Figure 3). Nearly half, 46%, of resources were spent on consumption. Lesser but also significant amounts were destined to education (13%) and commercial investment (10%). A joint initiative of SEBRAE (the Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service), the IDB and ABD (the Brazilian Dekassegui Association) promotes the investment of remittances in productive activities. The Dekassegui Entrepreneur Programme seeks to develop the entrepreneurial capacity of Brazilians in Japan (or returning from Japan), by providing educational and technical support for business start-ups.