Migration in Brazil

Brazil is the largest country in South America, with a population of 184 million people. The country has always had a strong immigrant presence. Much of Brazil's immigration can be connected to economic factors.

The first wave was encouraged by Portugal. The Portugese brought Portugese migrants and slaves from Africa. During more recent periods, the Brazilian government has become interested in encouraging migration from Germany, Italy, and Japan. These migrations occured during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. To this day, undocumented immigrants from surrounding countries make up the majority of new arrivals.

The first wave of immigrants happened during the second half of the 19th century. Europeans came to Brazil to work in coffee cultivation. From 1904-1930, around 2.1 million more Europeans arrived to work on the coffee plantations. Strict immigration policies in the United States and Canada also encouraged immigration to Brazil during this time.

Between 1997-2004, the Brazilian government made a variety of resolutions regarding policies for foreign workers. The government wanted to prioritize visas and work permits for foreigners who have a college degree, at the least.

Even though the country tried to make it harder to get work permits, most immigrants are unskilled, with little education. Brazilian workers organizations have been trying to get laws passed that would create more obstacles for foreign workers. The governments, however, has not yet made any changes.

ref: migrationpolicy.org