In the last five years, Brazil received some 702,000 Venezuelan immigrants who fled the economic, political, social and humanitarian crisis in their country, but just over half left Brazilian territory for other nations, official sources reported Thursday.
A report from the Ministry of Justice indicated that of the Venezuelans who entered Brazil from January 2017 to February 2022 to flee the crisis in their country, 325,763 remain in Brazilian territory and 376,459 continued on to other destinations, the vast majority in plane from Rio de Janeiro or by land from Foz do Iguazú, on the border of Brazil with Paraguay and Argentina.
Among those who remain in Brazil, 112,260 received temporary residence in the country, 72,334 have already obtained residence for an indefinite period and 51,538 were recognized as refugees. Another 93,997 submitted a refugee application and await the response of the National Refugee Council.
The balance also shows that 378,567 Venezuelans received tax identification in the last five years, which is the document that guarantees them access to assistance programs, public services and work.
The numbers were compiled by the Federal Subcommittee for the Reception, Identification and Relocation of Immigrants, a body headed by the Ministry of Justice and of which entities such as the Federal Police and Federal Customs are also part.
The report indicates that the majority of Venezuelans received by Brazil are male (53% of the total) and are between 30 and 59 years old (49%).
Another 30% are between 18 and 29 years old, while minors are equivalent to 16% and those over 60, the minority, to 5%.
The strong flow of Venezuelans to Brazil in recent years has caused the number of foreigners registered as immigrants in the country to double in a decade, from 600,000 in 2011 to 1.3 million in 2020.
Of the total number of immigrants registered in Brazil in the last ten years, 17.7% come 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, the majority of immigrants established in Brazil were originally from Portugal.
According to the UN, some four million Venezuelans have left their country since the end of 2015, in one of the largest migratory flows on the planet.
