Refugee crisis: Brazil cuts red tape for Venezuelans to apply for residence permits

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Brazil will relax the rules for residence authorization for immigrants from Venezuela. A Ministry of Justice and Public Safety decree published on Thursday, March 25th, simplifies the documents required for Venezuelans to apply for residency in the country.

One of the flexibilities is the possibility open to Venezuelans of presenting identity cards or passports with expired dates when applying to the Federal Police. The Brazilian government recognizes that, given the crisis in Venezuela, not all citizens are able to renew their documentation.

Another change along the same lines is that children who have entered Brazil up to the age of 9 accompanied by a parent will be able to present their birth certificate to obtain a residence permit.

Since 2019, the Brazilian government has recognized Venezuela as a country in serious and widespread violation of human rights. The declaration simplifies the analysis of migration processes of Venezuelans to Brazil.

In a statement, the Ministry of Justice and Public Safety justifies the measure by the “continuity of the Venezuelan migratory flow and the recognized situation of vulnerability and generalized crisis in that country,” citing Operation Acolhida, which receives immigrants from Venezuela in Brazil.

In addition to Venezuelans, the update in the rules applies to immigrants from Guyana and Suriname. However, the portfolio itself recognizes that the measure should favor, above all, immigrants from Venezuela.

To obtain temporary residency, immigrants first make a formal request to the Federal Police. When granted, the authorization is valid for two years. After that, if the foreigner has no criminal records in Brazil and if he proves he has the means to stay in the country, he can apply for definitive residency.

Queue of refugee requests

With this measure, the government will also try to reduce the request for refugee status in Brazil – another legal device for foreigners, which is not included within the temporary or definitive residence authorization.

Refugees are protected by a 1951 international convention and are given this status when they fall into a case of persecution or human rights violation.

One of the practical differences is that refugees and refugee applicants have stricter rules for leaving the country if they need to. In addition, the granting of this status depends on the analysis of the National Committee for Refugees (Conare), a path that can be longer.

Considering the period in 2020 from January to November, citizens from Venezuela accounted for 15,538 refugee applications. This represents 58.25% of the 26,674 refugee requests made to Conare in all of last year.

Source: G1