Children Without Borders Meeting held in Brasília

Brazil's Migration and Human Rights Institute (IMDH) charity has been organizing play and leisure activities at weekends for three years to bring refugee children and their families and Brazilian children together. The Children Without Borders Meeting was held in Brasília on Saturday (11).

Play helps these children integrate and adapt to the new country, according to IMDH director Rosita Milesi. “Our goal is to help ensure these children won't feel isolated because the way they talk is different or their communication is limited. These challenges can easily be overcome through leisure,” Milesi said in an interview to Agência Brasil.

The most critical stage in these migrant children's transition can last as long as one year, according to her. It is during this period that the institute tries to be the most supportive and helps provide food, toys, or clothes. They also follow up to make sure these children find school placements.

“Play may be overlooked as a minor need, but it's an important one. Families often come with barely any personal property, and parents don't bring any toys. So the children have no one to play with, they don't meet new friends, it's really hard for them. They sometimes cry all the time for no apparent reason. So [play] is a part of a their life that really needs to be looked at more carefully,” she explained.

According to the National Committee for Refugees (CONARE), Brazil had 8,863 refugees as of early 2016. Syrians are the largest recognized refugee community in Brazil. They amount to 2,298, followed by Angolans (1,420), Colombians (1,100), Congolese (968) and Palestinians (376). There are people from 79 nationalities in total.

According to the representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Brazil, Isabel Marquez, adults make up a majority of the refugee population in Brazil. Children account for 45% to 55% of the refugees on a global level. In Brazil, their prevalence is smaller, but still significant.

“The first thing is to make sure these children are registered and have access to housing and education,” says Marquez. According to her, Brazil has a good welcome system compared to other countries.

For Neha Zahra, 13, the meeting was a good opportunity to meet friends and have fun. She has been in Brazil for five months with her father, fleeing religious persecution in Pakistan. “My life is good. I mean, we do have problems, my father is unemployed, but I like Brazil,” she says.

Translated by Mayra Borges