Unprecedented survey on refugees in Brazil reveals good education
Most refugees in Brazil work, have education levels higher than the average among Brazilians, and, despite difficulties, would choose the Latin American country yet again if they needed shelter one more time. Nonetheless, even though some are happy to build emotional ties with Brazilian, some experience discrimination, are unable to make enough money, and do not know their rights.
The findings were taken from a study dubbed Perfil Socieonômico dos Refugiados no Brasil (“social and economic profile of refugees in Brazil”), to be launched at the University of Brasília (UnB) today (May 30) by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Cátedra Sérgio Vieira de Mello (CSVM), linked to UNHCR. Over the course of eight months, researchers interviewed 487 refugees living across eight Brazilian states, which have received 94 percent of refugees in the country—São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina, Minas Gerais, the Federal District, and Amazonas.
Of all the people who participated in the survey, 71% come from one of the following four countries: Syria (31.4%), the Democratic Republic of Congo (23.8%), Angola (8.6%), and Colombia (7.3%). Also, 404 respondents (83.1%) entered the country after 2010. Venezuelans were not included in the study as they are not seen as refugees by Brazilian authorities, UNHCR reported. Nearly a third (28%) of interviewees did not declare their gender. Of those who did, 48% are men, and 23% women.
As for education, only 2.7% (13) did not finish elementary school, and 0.6% (3) are illiterate. At the other end, the report shows that most people who had their application for refugee status granted by the Brazilian government have good education levels. Of the total, 34.4% (166) have a university degree or an even higher level of education. UNHCR notes that, 15 of every 100 Brazilians hold a degree or a higher title (specialist, master, or PhD). Nearly half of respondents (49.6%) finished high school.
The importance of a university degree
Despite the high levels of schooling reported among refugees, UNHCR mentions the need for federal universities to validate their foreign degrees. Only 14 refugees said their undergraduate degrees have been recognized in Brazil, which may show how difficult it is for refugees to gain access to better living conditions.
The lack of validation for foreign degrees may explain the distance between their actual occupation and their training and skills. Of the respondents, 68.2% (315) do not use their acquired skills in their current jobs. Of those who answered the question, only 31.8% (147) do use them.
The survey found that 57.5% (280) of interviewees work, 19.5% (95) are looking for work, and 5.7% (28) are neither employed nor looking for a job. On this, UNHCR says that, “therefore, 123 respondents (25.2%) are out of the labor market—an appalling number, as this is a vulnerable group, made up of people who were forced to leave their countries under fragile conditions and are unable to have an income in their target country.”
Even though 92.2% of refugees speak Portuguese, the lack of proficiency in the language was mentioned 148 times as an obstacle when attempting to join the labor market. Being a foreigner was mentioned 99 times in the same context.
Their willingness to start a business was another topic introduced by the research. The desire to be an entrepreneur was mentioned by 79.3% of respondents (386). The obstacles listed were lack of funding *302 of the 382 interviewees, or 78.2%), the lack of specialized support (24.3%), and the lack of knowledge about the paperwork needed to start a business (19.7%).
Insufficient income
In a section dedicated to household costs and housing conditions, UNHCR reported that 79.5% of respondents (314) have a family income of less than $750, of whom 95 live off up to $250. As it stands today, the minimum wage in Brazil is $249.70.
Of those interviewed, 67% (314) said their earnings do not cover expenditures. The solution to this problem is to work more, 38.8% said. Another 22% seek to lower food costs to solve the issue, whereas 16.8% shop on credit, and 16.2% resort to loans.
Scarce capital is also alarming for another reason: virtually half of respondents (233, 49.9%) send money to relatives or receive money from them in order to survive. The percentage is higher among those who make a contribution (69.55% of the total 243), than among those who receive money (24.3%).
Society
Another topic covered by the study relates to the knowledge refugees have about their basic rights. A third argued they are not thoroughly aware of the subject.
Public health services are the most used by 444 refugees interviewed (91% of the total), followed by educational services (201, 41%). “Social work services are used just as little: only by 93 refugees (19% of the total). Finally, 71 refugees (14.6% of the total) declared they have access to some service in [Brazil’s pension system], fewer than the people who contribute to social security (31% of the total sample),” the agency added.
Forty-one percent of refugees reported they have experienced discrimination of some sort. Their being foreign was the most often cited source of hostility (147, 73.5%).
Love and romantic relationships
The study also showed that their arrival in a new country also brought them experiences in the emotional arena, as many build romantic relationships with Brazilians.
Altogether, 20.55% (99) said they had ties of this nature—62 were in relationships or were engaged to someone in the country. This is also reflected on the refugees’ interest in obtaining Brazilian citizenship (96.3%).
UNHCR Official for Means of Livelihood Paulo Sergio Almeida believes “the data are very important because they bring to light the potential these people have, from the educational and professional standpoint, including mastering the language and age. Everything converges to a population with high potential for integration and contribution for their own development. They’re people who have managed to forge ties with the Brazilian community. Most say they have friends, some have married, and we see an ongoing process, despite the difficulties the research also casts light on,” he argued.
“This is reflected on their plan to stay in Brazil, as they live their lives here, and attempt to improve their economic situation and build social relations here,” he added.
