Brazil received 702,000 Venezuelan immigrants in five years

In the past five years, Brazil has received 702,000 Venezuelan immigrants, who fled their country’s economic, political, social and humanitarian crisis, but more than half left the Brazilian mainland to other countries, official sources said Thursday.

According to the Ministry of Justice, 325,763 Venezuelans entered Brazil from January 2017 to February 2022 to escape the crisis in their country, and 376,459 fled elsewhere. By land from Genero or Fos do Iguazu on the Brazil border with Paraguay and Argentina.

Of those staying in Brazil, 112,260 have been granted temporary residency in the country, 72,334 have already been granted indefinite residency and 51,538 have been recognized as refugees. A further 93,997 refugees have submitted applications and are waiting for a response National Refugee Council.

Over the past five years, 378,567 Venezuelans have received tax identification, a document that guarantees them access to assistance programs, public services and work.

These numbers were compiled by the Federal Subcommittee on the Reception, Identification and Transfer of Immigrants, an organization led by the Ministry of Justice and agencies such as the Federal Police and the Federal Customs.

The report notes that the majority of Venezuelans acquired by Brazil are men (53% of the total) and between the ages of 30 and 59 (49%).

Another 30% are between the ages of 18 and 29, while the proportion of minors is 16% and those over 60 are 5%.

The number of foreigners registered as immigrants in the country has doubled in a decade due to the strong influx of Venezuelans to Brazil in recent years, from 600,000 in 2011 to 1.3 million in 2020.

Of the total immigrants registered in Brazil over the past ten years, 17.7% were from Venezuela, 15.3% from Haiti, 5.7% from Bolivia, 5.5% from Colombia, 3.8% from the United States, 3.6% from China and 2.8% from Argentina.

Until 2010, most immigrants established in Brazil were originally from Portugal.

According to the UN, about four million Venezuelans have fled their country since the end of 2015, making it one of the largest expatriate populations on the planet.