São Paulo campaign aims to welcome immigrants

The government of São Paulo state launched the campaign Imigrante, São Paulo te acolhe (“immigrant, São Paulo welcomes you”), aimed at raising awareness about immigrants and refugees coming to the country. Videos and posters will be shown on the media and social networking sites as well as places like subway stations, bus terminals, and airports. The initiative will also publicize the services available to the foreigners in São Paulo as well as warnings on xenophobia.

“We’ll give advice about shelter and protection,” State Secretary for Justice and Citizenship Paulo Dimas Mascaretti. “More than just welcome them, we must protect them, show them the path to employment and give them the chance to develop personally and professionally.”

Health and beauty care

During the campaign’s launch ceremony, the Integration Center for Immigrants’ Integration and Citizenship (CIC), in the Santa Cecília district, in downtown São Paulo, eye, blood pressure and diabetes tests. Skin cleaning and hair services were also provided.

Bolivian Carlos Huertado took the opportunity to have her eyes and glucose levels checked. “Good thing it’s free. Sometimes these things can be rather pricey,” he said. Huertado has lived in Brazil for ten years. Unlike his wife, he still thinks of going back to his country. “I’ll die here [in Brazil],” Emieliene Veizado, Huertado’s wife and mother of four. The Bolivian immigrant named language as by far his biggest difficulty.

Vocational courses

Among the services made available by CIC are Portuguese classes and vocational courses in such fields as apparel printing, fashion, natural building, and gastronomy.

The state government is preparing for the influx of immigrants, especially those coming as a result of problems in their countries, like war, poverty and extreme weather conditions, Mascaretti said.