Migration Casestudy: EDC Brazil

Question 1

Brazil has the 7th largest economy in the world, true or false?

Answer 1

True

Question 2

Outline Brazil’s current economic status

Answer 2

• Brazil is the 7th largest economy in the world, being the leading economic power in Latin America
• As an EDC, it witnessed a significant increase in GDP per capita from $5200 in 2014 to $7500 in 2024.
• The sector contribution to GDP in Brazil is: 69% services, 25% industry and 6% agriculture.

Question 3

What are Brazil’s current emigration patterns?

Answer 3

• There has been a net migration loss of half a million in 4 year periods from 2000-04 and 2005-09, despite slowing in 2010-2014.
• There is increased migration between Brazil and its neighboring countries, especially Mercosur members, and Chile with Andean states.
• Emigration has slowed down of lower skilled economic migrants to the USA.
• There is increased emigration of high skilled workers to Europe, USA and Japan.

Question 4

What are Brazil’s current immigration patterns?

Answer 4

• There has been an influx of migrants from Haiti and increasingly from African countries, using Ecuador and Chile as transit countries
• There has been a rise in number of international labor migrants, attracted by the construction industry for the 2014 World cup and 2016 Olympics.
• There is strong and continuing internal migration, especially from the northeast to cities of the southeast.

Question 5

Outline the changes to Brazil’s immigration over time

Answer 5

• In the late 19th and 20th centuries, Brazil was a net recipient of migrants.
• The late 19th and 20th century saw an influx of Europeans attracted to work in the agricultural sector, especially coffee cultivation - predominantly Italians, Germans and Portuguese.
• Surprisingly, Japanese migrants had long been drawn towards agricultural and industrial sectors.
• Economic migration between near neighbors Paraguay and Argentina has always been relatively high
• Political crises at various times led to migrations from Bolivia, Angola and Lebanon.
• Immigration into Brazil has slowed in the last 15 years.

Question 6

Outline the changes to Brazil’s emigration over time

Answer 6

• Immigration has slowed down in the last 15 years, there are 80,000 fewer immigrants living in Brazil than at the start of the century.
• In this same period, emigration has increased.
• In 2013, 1.77 million Brazilians lived abroad, compared to 0.98 million in 2000.
• The USA is Brazil’s largest population overseas, mainly for economic reasons.
• Many Brazilians of Japanese descent, having strong cultural links, have emigrated to Japan, encouraged by employment opportunities.

Question 7

What 3 countries does Brazil have economic, social, political and environmental interdependence with from migrant flows?

Answer 7

• USA
• Portugal
• Haiti

Question 8

How are Portugal and Brazil interdependent and connected by migrant flows?

Answer 8

• Brazil and Portugal have a long-standing bi-lateral relationship on a political, social and economic basis.
• Brazil was a former colony of Portugal, and the Portuguese government still grant special status to Brazilian migrants.
• For economic migrants from Brazil, Portugal offers a gateway for entry to the EU.
• The shared language, ancestry and family ties contributes to the ease of migration, as well as their integration.
• Reciprocal migration is supported by the well-developed social diaspora networks in both countries.
• Migrant remittances are an important economic factor for many families.

Question 9

How are Brazil and the USA interdependent and connected by migrant flows?

Answer 9

• The links between Brazil are important in political, socio-economic and environmental terms.
• Socio-economically, the many thousands of low-skilled economic migrants in the USA are able to remit significant moneys, whilst returning migrants, having acquired skills and knowledge are able to contribute to Brazilian development
• High skilled Brazilians are increasingly finding opportunities to work in the USA, especially in the service sector. There are strong links in education and teacher training.
• The USA has negotiated agreements with Brazil regarding agriculture, trade, finance, education and defense.
• Environmentally, USAID gives support to Brazil in many environmental projects - facilitated by migratory relationships. For example: practical help in training indigenous people to protect tribal lands from forest fire to assisting the Brazilian government in designing and implementing laws regarding forest governance and sustainability.

Question 10

How are Haiti and Brazil interdependent and connected by migrant flows?

Answer 10

• Brazil has a political, economic and humanitarian relationship with Haiti.
• The National Immigration Council for Brazil enables Haitian immigrants to obtain visas relatively easily in Haiti, thereby reducing their vulnerability to trafficking networks.
• The Haitians benefit from this due to difficulty in recovering from the 2010 earthquake that displaced 1.5 million - and the subsequent effects of the 2012 hurricane.
• Number of Haitian immigrants went from 1700 in 2010 to 11000 in 2013 - this continues to rise as Haitians attempt to escape political instability, unemployment, poverty, poor access to infrastructure and appalling human rights records (gender violence esp).
• Many Haitians intend to join friends and relatives in SE Brazil where low-skilled jobs are available in agriculture and manufacture.

Question 11

What has been the impact of Brazil’s migration on economic development?

Answer 11

• Immigration influx in different periods from Japan, Portugal and other European nations have contributed to growth in Brazil’s dominant agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
• Recent arrivals of highly skilled professionals with employment contracts have contributed to entrepreneurship, innovation and reducing gaps in the labor market.
• Emigration to the USA, Japan, Portugal and other European nations has resulted in migrant remittances. These remittances are used by families in housing improvements, education and general consumption which stimulates the multiplier effect.

Question 12

What has been the impact of Brazil’s migration on political stability?

Answer 12

• Brazil has a stable and democratic political system; being a leading member of Mercosur, who are important members of G20 and OECD, also being in the BRICs group of emerging economies.
• Brazil’s membership of Mercosur, a trading bloc in which there is free flow of trade, capital and labor migration, has facilitated South American integration and promotion of political stability.
• There are stable political relationships between Brazil and other countries, with significant bilateral flows of migrants (especially USA, Japan and Portugal).
• Brazil is an important receiver of environmental and political refugees - so as a stable government, they accept responsibility for welfare and employment prospects through providing visas and work permits.

Question 13

What has been the impact of Brazil’s migration on social equality? (negative :c)

Answer 13

• According to UNESCO, there are inequalities in Brazilian society between ethnic groups. Inequalities can be seen in housing provision, access to services, educational attainment and income; Brazilians of African descent are most affected.
• Inequalities have a spatial perspective, poverty is concentrated in rural areas or favelas, which is home to many migrants.
• The labor market has prejudice and discrimination, especially against black and the indigenous - this impedes their full economic, political and social development.
• Maybe a positive point: multiplier effect attempts to reduce development gap.