Abstract
Abstract The world has recently witnessed a social phenomenon that has been present during the entire history of humanity, but has now taken on greater proportions and impact: the large population displacements of refugees. According to the United Nations, more than 75 million people were in this situation worldwide at the end of 2017, a figure never observed before (UNHCR, 2017). Since 1951, more than 147 countries, including Brazil, have signed the United Nations Refugee Convention, which established obligations for signatory governments to provide refugees with legal and safe working conditions. Considering this context, this study aims to investigate the perceptions of refugees of different origins regarding the processes and difficulties of integrating into Brazilian society and labor market. The processes deal with bureaucratic barriers, cultural differences, ethnic-racial issues, and language, among others. The study uses a qualitative approach consisting of eight interviews in the city of Rio de Janeiro with refugees of a variety of nationalities and both genders. The results show that these respondents perceive a gap between public policies and practices involving refugees in the workplace, and also discrimination by the population, employers, and authorities, describing a multicultural rather than an intercultural context. Despite these challenges, respondents say they intend to continue living and working in Brazil.
Highlights
The world has recently witnessed a social phenomenon that has been present during the entire history of humanity, but has taken on greater proportions and impact: the large population displacements of refugees (Andrade, 1996; Moreira, 2005; Póvoa & Ferreira, 2005)
It is worth noting that this convention, which has been signed by 147 countries, including Brazil, establishes obligations for signatory governments to provide refugees with legal and safe working conditions, as well as access to the country’s public service network (UNHCR, 2004)
The study seeks to investigate the perception of refugees from various origins in terms of the processes and difficulties involved in integrating into Brazilian society and its labor market
Summary
The world has recently witnessed a social phenomenon that has been present during the entire history of humanity, but has taken on greater proportions and impact: the large population displacements of refugees (Andrade, 1996; Moreira, 2005; Póvoa & Ferreira, 2005). According to the United Nations, more than 75 million people were in this situation worldwide as of the end of 2017, a figure - never observed before (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees [UNHCR], 2017). In this model, human mobility currently produces and reproduces international inequalities arising from the globalization process (Santos, 2003). According to the 1951 United Nations Refugee Convention, “a refugee is any person who, because of well-founded fears of persecution due to his race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group and political opinion stays outside his country of origin, and because of these fears he cannot or will not return to it ” It is worth noting that this convention, which has been signed by 147 countries, including Brazil, establishes obligations for signatory governments to provide refugees with legal and safe working conditions, as well as access to the country’s public service network (UNHCR, 2004)
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