Resettlement and integration of extracontinental refugees: A qualitative study of Sri Lankan Tamils in Brazil

Resettlement of refugees to a country other than where they first seek asylum is one of the solutions employed when local integration ceases to exist and/or they face the threat of deportation. Of over 10.5 million refugees globally, less than one percent are resettled, mostly in the global North. In mid 2014 Brazil received 11 Sri Lankan Tamil refugees for resettlement. This study explores the provider and receiver perspectives of the resettlement program with emphasis on the coping mechanisms the refugees have employed to integrate into Brazilian society. 

Refugees received access to services such as Tamil language interpretation, Portuguese language classes, mental health counseling, and livelihood skills-training and were evaluated through in-depth interviews conducted individually in their native language. Key Informant Interviews were further conducted with various providers of health and social assistance. Transcripts were coded in a qualitative software to discern broader themes of integration with respect to achieving self-reliance, adjustment to the new environment, and handling past trauma from displacement. 

Language was a major barrier to access to services, as none of the providers were familiar with Tamil and there was a lack of Portuguese proficiency among refugees. While the final evaluation is on-going, a preliminary observation suggests a positive trend towards integration with a clear correlation between local integration and achieving conversational proficiency in Portuguese. There was a dramatic increase in access to services as the refugees began to comprehend the language and communicate their needs through an interpreter. Assistance with skills-training and employment search by the local NGO further improved their self-esteem with refugees reporting lesser symptoms of post-traumatic stress. 

At the multilateral level, Brazil will use the study to inform future strategy on extra-continental resettlement. At the local level, providers will utilize the experience from this program to improve practices with assisting refugees and specifically Sri Lankan Tamils.