Possible consequences of Brazil's withdrawal from the Global Compact for Migration

Decision could point to political change regarding the country's treatment of migrants and affect the lives of Brazilians that are na same situation 

The UN Global Compact for Migration is the result of a joint effort by activists, researchers and institutions, with 152 governments ratifying it at the UN General Assembly in December 2018. In this collective construction, in which Brazil collaborated significantly, the 23 objectives cited in Article 16 of the Pact marked the limits and scope of the document, focusing on the three milestones that the document's title contains: 

• For regular migration - because irregular migration is, first and foremost, always a risk for those who migrate; 

• For an orderly migration - because nations and populations can develop by valuing and optimizing the potential of population movements, which are seen as an opportunity;  

• For safe migration, with respect for the dignity and lives of those who move, first and foremost, and, at the same time, for the safety and protection of all the people, peoples and countries involved in the movement of migrants and refugees. 

At the beginning of January this year, after criticizing the Pact, the current government confirmed Brazil's withdrawal from it. Roberto Marinucci, editor of CSEM's Interdisciplinary Journal of Urban Mobility (REMHU), warns that, taking into account that Brazil has just approved a new migration law which, in many respects, has not yet been regulated, the decision to leave the Pact reveals an ideological option contrary to the logic of the new law which, in this sense, runs the risk of being regulated and interpreted in a way contrary to its spirit of defending and promoting the rights of migrants. 

For Marinucci, with regard to Brazilian emigrants, it's worth pointing out that the policy of reciprocity is quite common in international relations. "Failure to respect the rights of foreigners in Brazil can result in retaliation from Brazilians abroad. It's worth remembering that diasporas currently play a very important economic role, both in terms of remittances and the consumption of Brazilian products abroad," he adds. 

CSEM, like many other civil society organizations and leaders, stresses the importance of the Pact, given the wealth of convergences and efforts it represents. Carmem Lussi, a researcher at the Centre, points out that the objectives of the Pact represent hope for migrants, despite Brazil's departure from this international network for safer, more organized and regular migration management. "The constant decrease in the percentage of foreigners in Brazil over the last 50 years does not justify one less right, nor the ideologically xenophobic use of language and treatment of immigrants in the country," she concludes.  

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The 23 objectives of the United Nations Pact for Migration:  

1. Collect and use credible information as a basis for migration policies; 
2. Minimize the adverse drivers and structural factors that lead people to leave their countries of origin; 
3. Provide accurate and timely information at all stages of migration; 
4. Ensure that all migrants have legal proof of identification as well as proper documentation; 
5. Ensure feasibility and flexibility of routes for a regulated migration; 
6. Facilitate ethical and fair recruitment as well as safe conditions that guarantee decent work; 
7. Responding to and reducing the vulnerabilities of migration; 
8. Saving lives and establishing coordinated international action on missing migrants; 
9. Strengthen transnational responses to migrant traffickers; 
10. Preventing, combating and eradicating human trafficking in the international context of migration; 
11. Managing borders in an integrated, secure and coordinated manner; 
12. Strengthen the reliability and predictability of migration procedures for proper reading and access; 
13. Only imprison migrants as a last resort, always looking for alternatives; 
14. Guarantee consular protection, assistance and cooperation throughout the migration cycle; 
15. Provide access to basic services for all migrants; 
16. Empowering migrants and society to achieve full social inclusion and cohesion; 
17. Eliminate all forms of discrimination and promote evidence-based public debates to redesign perceptions of migration; 
18. Investing in skills development and facilitating the mutual recognition of such skills, qualifications and competencies; 
19. Create conditions for migrants and diasporas to contribute fully to the sustainable development of their countries; 
20. Promote the transfer of financial values by migrants more quickly and safely; 
21. Cooperate by facilitating a dignified and safe return, as well as sustainable readmission and reintegration; 
22. Establish mechanisms for social security and benefits; 
23. Strengthen international cooperation and global partnerships for safe, orderly and regulated migration. 

Text by: Luana G. Silveira 

CSEM Communications Team