Syrian refugees struggle to rebuild life in Brazil

With a gentle "Sallaam Aleikum" (peace be upon you), Syrian Hanaa Nachawaty greets customers on a sidewalk in Rio where she and her family of five sell Arab snacks. Like most of the refugees who arrived in Brazil, they praise the country's welcoming atmosphere but face difficulties to find jobs and get permanent housing.

Hanaa says she chose the country because it was easier to be granted asylum. Since 2011, Brazil hosted 2,077 Syrian refugees, the largest number in Latin America. But unlike Europe, asylum seekers who arrive in Brazil do not get a house or financial aid. The refugee is responsible for everything.

In São Paulo, where there are 65% of the Syrians who arrived in the country, the Beneficent Muslim Society recognizes that access to housing is difficult. For that reason, the entity began to serve lunch boxes to refugees because many of them had no place to cook.

Many refugees arrive in Brazil "expecting the same conditions [found] by those who went to Europe," explains Aline Thuller, coordinator of the Caritas Rio de Janeiro Refugee Program. She points out, however, that the formalities in some countries are slow or require families to be confined in detention camps, like in France. In Brazil, Aline notes that the greatest advantage is the possibility to get a job.

At the moment the refugees arrive, they can have their working papers with the same rights as Brazilians, such as vacations, overtime pay and the 13th salary (Christmas bonus). But even with the possibility of working, it is not so easy to get a job. The educational level of the Syrian refugees is high, but they do not have documents to prove their academic education. "Many end up in underemployment, teaching English or working in general services," admitted Aline.

It is the case of Armin Nachawaty, 24, who studied hotel management in Syria and speaks fluent English, but he could not get an outplacement and prefers to sell Arab food on the streets to wash dishes in restaurants. As an language major, Kafouzi Rabia, 29, in Brazil for a year, also could not get a job. She has two young daughters and her husband, who worked with computers in Syria, supports his family by giving English lessons.

Coordinator Aline Thuller suggests that Brazil should develop social policies for refugees, not only granting social rent payment for a period, but assimilating them into the culture. "How will they get into college if they do not speak Portuguese and have never had lessons in Brazilian history?", she asked. However, she points out that in general even though bias incidents are reported, there is a peaceful coexistence between Brazilian people and Syrian immigrants.

Translated by Amarílis Anchieta