Brazil to streamline rules for immigrant workers
According to a study called “Immigrant Job Placement in Brazil”, the number of foreigners working under formal legal contracts in Brazil has grown 50.9% over the past three years, exceeding the 120,000 mark. Marcello Casal Jr
The Ministry of Labor is discussing a proposal to revise the 1980 Immigration Act in order to facilitate the entry of foreigners into the country, reduce the amount of red tape, and expand the number of work visas issued. According to Paulo Sérgio de Almeida, Secretary for Labor Inspection and chairman of the National Immigration Council, the current legislation is “too restrictive” and offers little in the way of helping foreign workers stay in the country.
He said welcoming both a low- and a high-skilled foreign workforce is of great interest to Brazil, but the current provisions make this international flow too difficult. “Should we take the existing laws to the letter, it is almost impossible for migrants to come to Brazil. There is a huge amount of red tape, controls and conditions that turn migration management into a major challenge,” the secretary explained.
According to a study released Wednesday (Nov. 12), called “Immigrant Job Placement in Brazil” (a rough translation for “Inserção de Imigrantes no Mercado de Trabalho Brasileiro”), the number of foreigners working under formal legal contracts in Brazil has grown 50.9% over the past three years, exceeding the 120,000 mark. “Brazil is a democratic, diverse country that welcomes international mobility. Thus, it is critical that we change the current laws,”Almeida said.
As he introduced the study, Labor Minister Manoel Dias said Brazil is ready to welcome immigrants. “The country welcomed large migration flows in the 19th and 20th centuries with the Europeans. Since then, very few immigrants have come. Now, with Brazil's thriving job market, we have become a major destination, and we're ready [to welcome foreign workers],” he explained.
According to Dias, the government is concerned about the skills of this foreign workforce, especially those coming from Haiti and African countries, who have low qualifications and face language barriers. “There should be career opportunities for them too. We at the Ministry of Labor have started a Workers' University, designed primarily to provide job qualification and Portuguese language skills.”
Language difficulties are mentioned by the chairman of the Haitians' Association in Brasília, Kesson Eruilus, as the main challege to the social integration of Haitians in Brazil. “Many of them face difficulties finding a job, especially women. It could take them as long as eight months to get a job. Most end up working as house maids. And all this difficulty is mostly because of the language barrier and poor job experience,” he explained.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Brazil to streamline rules for immigrant workers
