Brazilians in Europe: recent emigration patterns and challenges for public policy

Abstract This article examines contemporary Brazilian emigration flows to Europe between 2011 and 2021, drawing on data from Eurostat, the United Nations, the Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Portugal’s National Institute of Statistics. It identifies trends such as the feminization and aging of the emigrant population, the expansion of family migration, and the consolidation of transnational networks. Brazil’s prolonged economic crisis, beginning in 2014, and the COVID-19 pandemic acted as drivers of emigration, while countries such as Portugal, Spain, and Italy became key destinations for long-term settlement. The analysis addresses patterns of sociodemographic selectivity, the limitations of official statistics, and the insufficient engagement of the Brazilian state with its diaspora-contrasting these with institutional measures adopted by receiving countries. The article highlights the reconfiguration of migration flows and the role of social networks, migration governance, and family strategies in shaping recent Brazilian mobility.