GIULIANA MIRANDA
LISBON, PORTUGAL (FOLHAPRESS)
A decree published by the Brazilian government opened the way for the regularization of citizens of member states of the CPLP (Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries) who are already in national territory, allowing them to request a residence permit “regardless of the migratory condition” of entry. in Brazil.
The initial forecast is that around 10 thousand immigrants from the Portuguese-speaking bloc – formed by Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Mozambique, Portugal, São Tomé and Príncipe and East Timor – will be covered.
The Angolan community, which is currently experiencing a wave of growth in the country, will be the main beneficiary of the mechanism, accounting for up to 80% of the planned regularizations.
“It is not a migration amnesty, which can only be granted by the National Congress. We are talking about promoting the migration regularization of the immigrant community here in Brazil”, says Bernardo Laferté, project manager at the National Secretariat of Justice, linked to the Ministry of Justice and Public security.
According to him, the ordinance mainly targets the current African diaspora. “(The rule) implies having a document issued by Brazil that that person is regular in the country. This opens many doors in obtaining services and guaranteeing rights. It makes it easier to send a child to school, get a job and have access to the insurance system. health. It’s an essential point, because we’re talking about citizenship”, he says.
Law professor at FGV-Rio, Felipe Fonte highlights the simplicity of regularization brought by the ordinance. “It ends up creating a very benevolent rule for foreigners from this community, who will now be able to apply for a residence permit without needing to be in their country of origin and without major bureaucracy.”
The new text, however, does not automatically exempt migrants from the fine for irregular length of stay in Brazil, currently R$100 per day exceeded, up to a limit of R$10,000.
People who prove a situation of “economic hyposufficiency”, showing that they do not have the resources to pay this amount, may request an exemption.
The new ordinance also regulates the temporary visas provided for in the mobility agreement signed by the CPLP countries in 2021. Also known as the CPLP residence visa, the document may cover some professional categories, such as teachers, scientists, businesspeople, students, cultural agents and technicians high qualification. The initial validity is one year.
Both visas and residence permits can be requested from October 2nd. In Portugal, requests can be made at the three Brazilian consulates in the country (Lisbon, Porto and Faro), while, in Africa, the responsibility will be with the embassies in the capitals.
The Brazilian government’s requirements include the presentation of a valid travel document, a criminal record certificate and proof of income or equivalent. In the case of professionals, it is necessary to prove that they carry out one of the activities covered by the regulations.
Other countries in the bloc are also in the process of adapting their national legislation to the Portuguese-speaking mobility agreement, signed in July 2021, after three years of debates.
The idea of creating a system to ensure the movement of people, however, was almost as old as the CPLP itself, which turned 27 years old in July. In recent years, amid the need for immigrant labor, Portugal was one of the main promoters of the agreement.
Also within the scope of the mobility pact, the European country implemented an automatic residence permit for citizens of Portuguese-speaking countries. The Brazilian community benefited most, with more than 100,000 requests for regularization since the launch of the mechanism in March.
Although the document guarantees access to the country’s health and social security services, many beneficiaries have complained about difficulties in moving within the European Union.
The CPLP residence permit, which is in the format of A4 paper and must always be accompanied by a passport, is not recognized by other EU members, unlike the standardized document for immigrants in the region, which is a special identification card. . The situation has generated differences of interpretation, with several cases of Brazilians prevented from boarding by airlines.
The post Focusing on Africans, Brazil wants to regularize Portuguese-speaking migrants appeared first in Jornal de Brasília.
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