Joana Romeiro
Pos-doctoral Fellow at Integral Human Development Program, PhD, RN, MSc. Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Doctoral School (CADOS). Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Health, Lisbon, Portugal
The global migration phenomenon has undergone profound changes and dynamics resulting from a range of geopolitical, economic, and social transformations, with an inevitable effect on migratory flows in Europe and Portugal. Data for the year 2021 pointed to the existence of 447.2 million inhabitants in the European Union (EU), of which 23.7 million (5.3% of the total population) were not European citizens, with 37.5 million people (8.4% of inhabitants in Europe) born outside the EU. In 2020, 1.92 million people migrated to the EU (European Commission, 2022). Data provided by EUROSTAT, at the end of 2020, indicated that the main reasons for applying for residence in the EU were: family reasons (36%); professionals (20%); and asylum (9%) (European Commission, 2022).
In 2021, there were 26.6 million refugees worldwide, with the displacement of 48 million people due to armed/political conflicts at the end of 2020 (UNHCR, 2022). The same source identifies a greater percentage of refugees in the world population originating in Lebanon (12.5%), Jordan (6.3%), Turkey (4.4%), Uganda (3.6%) and Sudan (2.5%). At the European level, refugees represented around 0.6% of the European population, with around 630,500 asylum requests in 2021, constituting an additional 33% of requests registered in the previous year. Of these numbers, 183,600 children (under 18 years of age) stand out, of which 13% unaccompanied by family members, from Afghanistan, Syria, and Bangladesh (UNHCR, 2022).
Researchers dedicated to the study of the migrant movement in Portugal have confirmed changes in flow, particularly about immigration, which until the year 2000, occurred as a result of a movement determinedly linked to the historical-cultural past with a high representation of immigrants from Portuguese-speaking countries (76% in 1999 and 77% in 2000), formerly the result of colonialism, with a higher concentration in the Lisbon metropolitan area of people from Portuguese-speaking African Countries (PALOP), Western Europe and Brazil (highlighted by Baganha and collaborators (2009)). However, this trend took on new contours in the 90s with actors originally from China and Pakistan, with a marked expression of flows from Eastern Europe between 2000 and 2002. Alongside the changes perpetuated over time, the most recent conclusions emanated by the Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteira in the Immigration, Borders, and Asylum Report indicated the existence of 698,887 foreign citizens residing in Portugal in 2021, in a progressive increase in foreign citizens in the last six years (5.6% higher than the year 2020) (FBS, 2021). Although Brazilian nationality remains the most common among resident immigrants (representing around 29.3% of the total), people from India represented, however, the highest upsurge (23.2%).
The magnitude of the numbers associated with the migratory flow, with a growing increase in the number of immigrants in the national territory, highlights the importance of the 131 asylum requests (for the first time), per million inhabitants, registered in the year 2021. Additionally, in 2020, 32,147 foreign citizens acquired Portuguese nationality.
Disadvantaged populations, particularly immigrants, to the outskirts of society due to minorities being placed on the margins of societies by the party that holds greater power and social representation. Therefore, these individuals are placed on a path opposite to empowerment and social resilience, in addition we want to highlight the absence of studies in this environment. The multidimensionality of the factors that trigger this vulnerability suggests the imperative need to understand and identify the factors that might compromise the exercise of citizenship rights of migrants.
REFERENCES
ACNUR. (2022). Alto Comissário das Nações Unidas para os Refugiados visita Alto Comissariado para as Migrações. https://www.acm.gov.pt/-/alto-comissario-das-nacoes-unidas-para-os-refugiados-visita-alto-comissariado-para-as-migracoes
Baganha, Maria Ioannis (2009), “Migração transatlântica: uma síntese histórica”, em José Vicente Serrão, Magda de Avelar Pinheiro, e Maria de Fátima Sá e Melo Ferreira (orgs.), Desenvolvimento Económico e Mudança Social. Portugal nos Últimos Dois Séculos. Homenagem a Míriam Halpern Pereira, Lisboa, ICS – Imprensa de Ciências Sociais, pp. 405-422.
European Commission. (2022). Estatísticas sobre os fluxos migratórios para a Europa. Comissão Europeia – European Commission. https://ec.europa.eu/info/strategy/priorities-2019-2024/promoting-our-european-way-life/statistics-migration-europe_pt
Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteira. (2021). Serviço de Estrangeiros e Fronteiras (SEF) no Relatório de Imigração, Fronteiras e Asilo (RIFA). SEF.
OpenEdition sugere que esta publicação seja citada da seguinte forma:
joanaromeiro (15 de Dezembro de 2023). On December 18th, International Migration Day is celebrated. Desenvolvimento Humano Integral. Recuperado em 21 de Janeiro de 2026 de https://doi.org/10.58079/nkw2