Brazilians Returning from Portugal: Jobs Before, During and After the Migration

Abstract

Migration of Brazilians abroad has been studied by a number of researchers from different disciplines. Transformation of the global economy over the past decade reversed trends of out-migration with the return of many emigrants back to Brazil, particularly those who had gone to Portugal. Portugal previously had been one of the main destinations for Brazilian emigrants but it became a major European victim of the global economic crisis. Therefore, for a group of Brazilians who returned from Portugal between 2005 and 2013 this article seeks to understand what kind of work they did before, during and after their migration. Structured interviews were conducted with 703 individuals from 54 municipalities in four different states between January, 2012 and January, 2013. The kind of work undertaken abroad was found to be particularly important for the reintegration of returning migrants based on the opportunity which they had for building human capital in Portugal. The results indicate the likelihood of remigration and point the way to possible avenues for public policies targeting returning Brazilians.