BRASILIA, Feb 11 (NNN-AGENCIA BRASIL) — Brazilian authorities confirmed that a total of 194,331 migrants arrived in South America’s largest country last year, according to the 8th edition of the Migration Bulletin, published by the National Justice Secretariat (Senajus) Monday. Venezuelans topped the list with 94,726 people.
As for refugees, ”Venezuela remains the main country of origin of recognized refugees (12,726), followed by Afghanistan (283) and Colombia (121),” the bulletin stated.
According to the ministry, family reunification was the primary reason for shelter requests in Brazil, accounting for 16,567 cases. Work and investment followed with 14,507 requests, while the study was cited in 8,725 cases. Additionally, there were 2,300 requests for religious missions, 1,966 for border residency, and 4,317 for humanitarian aid.
In addition, 68,159 requests for refugee status were submitted last year, resulting in 13,632 approvals, 24,887 closings, 28,890 shelvings, and 318 rejections.
In December last year, 5,837 Venezuelans entered Brazil, with Pacaraima, in Roraima state, serving as the main point of entry. In Pacaraima and the state capital, Boa Vista, assistance is provided by Operation Welcome.
Venezuelan migrants who have entered Brazil currently reside in 1,026 municipalities nationwide. Curitiba and Manaus host the largest number of migrants assisted by the program, according to the bulletin.
The operation was halted late last month after the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the United Nations (UN) agency responsible for supporting migrants and refugees, announced a 90-day suspension given US President Donald Trump’s Jan. 26 decision to terminate all funding.
The following day, Brazilian authorities held a meeting with representatives of the organization to discuss the impact of the suspension of activities under Operation Welcome. It was agreed that Brazil’s government would take over the IOM’s operations.
“The Brazilian authorities are mobilized and working to mitigate the impact of the absence of IOM teams in the logistics operation and shelter management. Emergency measures include the redeployment of civil servants from healthcare, social assistance, the Federal Police, and the Ministry of Defense to ensure the continuity of essential activities,” said the Ministry of Justice and Public Security in a statement.
According to the ministry, the significant influx of people migrating from Venezuela highlights the need for the “Brazilian federal government to implement policies addressing the humanitarian crisis in that country.”
The bulletin also found that as of 2023, 4,996,951 Brazilians were living abroad. ”The primary destination regions are North America (2.26 million) and Europe (1.67 million). The United States remains the country with the highest number of Brazilian residents (2.08 million), followed by Portugal (513,000),” it was reported. — NNN-AGENCIA BRASIL
