Brasilia – IOM, the UN Migration Agency and the Brazilian Network of the United Nations Global Compact have recently launched a new report addressing international migrants’ access to the labour market in Brazil.

After consulting with executives of 79 companies of the Brazilian Network of the UN Global Compact, a team of experts has systematized the main obstacles to migrants’ integration in the local market, focusing on the companies’ human resources and social responsibility policies. Such obstacles include the availability of information, difficulties to advertise opportunities among the migrants’ community, lack of communication skills and problems with documentation.

The report highlights five key areas of opportunity for companies: 1) The improvement of recruitment systems to facilitate migrants’ access to job opportunities; 2) The possibility of public companies to include migrants in their service providers contracts; 3) The establishment of internship programmes; 4) Brand reputation improvement; and  5) The inclusion of migrants in social responsibility programmes that already exist, focusing other groups.

According to IOM Brazil Chief of Mission, Stéphane Rostiaux, “The research shows the private sector in Brazil is mostly open to migrants.” He added: “The problem is that, sometimes, human resources departments don’t have all the necessary information to move from intentions to actions.”

The research emphasizes on the special needs of vulnerable migrants and have a special focus into gender issues and points out the need to scale existing corporate good practices to reach more migrants.

Reflecting on the project results, the UN Global Compact Brazil Executive-Secretary, Carlo Pereira, explained: “The research shows that diversity and inclusion are present in the daily routine of companies, which means we improved a lot in the past few years”. He emphasized that companies still have room to do more regarding hiring migrants, and the UN Global Compact has been working in capacity-building efforts, especially with women.

The project’s next step is to use the report conclusions to conduce a series of capacity building workshops with private sector representatives. The research and the workshops are part of the IOM Development Fund project “Improving legal assistance to migrants in Brazil and promoting their access to labor markets.”

In 2015, more than 700,000 migrants lived in Brazil, but little to no specific corporate policies are designed to address this population.

The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative based on companies’ CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to take steps to support UN goals. IOM Brazil is working with the UN Global Compact Brazil Network since 2016 in actions to support the integration of migrants in the marketplace.

Access the report here (in Portuguese): http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11788/2089

For more info please contact IOM Brazil, Marcelo Torelly, Tel: +5561 3038 9065, Email: mtorelly@iom.int

Brasilia – IOM, the UN Migration Agency and the Brazilian Network of the United Nations Global Compact have recently launched a new report addressing international migrants’ access to the labour market in Brazil.

After consulting with executives of 79 companies of the Brazilian Network of the UN Global Compact, a team of experts has systematized the main obstacles to migrants’ integration in the local market, focusing on the companies’ human resources and social responsibility policies. Such obstacles include the availability of information, difficulties to advertise opportunities among the migrants’ community, lack of communication skills and problems with documentation.

The report highlights five key areas of opportunity for companies: 1) The improvement of recruitment systems to facilitate migrants’ access to job opportunities; 2) The possibility of public companies to include migrants in their service providers contracts; 3) The establishment of internship programmes; 4) Brand reputation improvement; and  5) The inclusion of migrants in social responsibility programmes that already exist, focusing other groups.

According to IOM Brazil Chief of Mission, Stéphane Rostiaux, “The research shows the private sector in Brazil is mostly open to migrants.” He added: “The problem is that, sometimes, human resources departments don’t have all the necessary information to move from intentions to actions.”

The research emphasizes on the special needs of vulnerable migrants and have a special focus into gender issues and points out the need to scale existing corporate good practices to reach more migrants.

Reflecting on the project results, the UN Global Compact Brazil Executive-Secretary, Carlo Pereira, explained: “The research shows that diversity and inclusion are present in the daily routine of companies, which means we improved a lot in the past few years”. He emphasized that companies still have room to do more regarding hiring migrants, and the UN Global Compact has been working in capacity-building efforts, especially with women.

The project’s next step is to use the report conclusions to conduce a series of capacity building workshops with private sector representatives. The research and the workshops are part of the IOM Development Fund project “Improving legal assistance to migrants in Brazil and promoting their access to labor markets.”

In 2015, more than 700,000 migrants lived in Brazil, but little to no specific corporate policies are designed to address this population.

The UN Global Compact is a voluntary initiative based on companies’ CEO commitments to implement universal sustainability principles and to take steps to support UN goals. IOM Brazil is working with the UN Global Compact Brazil Network since 2016 in actions to support the integration of migrants in the marketplace.

Access the report here (in Portuguese): http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11788/2089

For more info please contact IOM Brazil, Marcelo Torelly, Tel: +5561 3038 9065, Email: mtorelly@iom.int