Migrant Support Center and Pastoral

– Promoting the knowledge and guaranteeing of immigrant workers’ rights and those of their families

– Combating slave labor, degrading labor and human trafficking through the inclusion of immigrants via documentation, thus making them less vulnerable

– Expanding the number of mobile support stations in areas with a concentration of immigrant laborers

– Increase in assistance for migrant workers seeking official documents

– Strengthen the work of social agents in visits to immigrant textile workshops

– Support the creation of a pocket guide to immigrant workers’ rights in Brazil

According to the organization, Brazil is seen by many immigrants as a country where attaining better living conditions is possible. Meanwhile, the harsh reality, exclusionary and violent, makes access to basic human rights a challenge. The absence of any national migratory policy based on human rights, the difficulty of access to information, the language and xenophobia are barriers immigrants face, while being subjected to exploitation, slave labor and violence.

The CAMI (Migrant Support Center and Pastoral) has been working for ten years to assist and promote human rights together with the immigrant community. It is present at various immigrant activities such as religious festivals, fairs, the organization of marches and debates on the topic of migration, meeting points such as plazas, football games and in support of associative activities.

State and municipal commissions for the Eradication of Slave Labor, the Observatory for Confronting Human Trafficking; Center for Confronting Human Trafficking; the São Paulo Public Prosecutor’s Special Action Group for Confronting Domestic Violence; Network in Favor of Immigrants in São Paulo and Guarulhos; Immigrant March Network and social pastorals.

The organization assisted in the migratory regularization process throughout the the project’s duration. A stand was mounted almost every Sunday to assist at Kantuta Square, in São Paulo, where immigrants of various nationalities circulate. Another place where the stand was mounted was Feira da Penha. The migratory regularization activities were related to and combined with legal and social assistance. Regarding the more specific question of preventing and combating forced labor and human trafficking, multiplicators, community leaders and non-official visiting agents undertook the permanent task of conducting visits to workshops and residences in order to support the needs of migrants, also handing out information about the services offered by Cami. Throughout the project Cami also participated in information activities and migratory regularization together with the Citizen Integration Center (CIC) for Immigrants, operated by the state government, and maintained eight Portuguese and citizenship courses in different districts of the City of São Paulo and Greater São Paulo. Another achievement was a seminar held, in partnership with Anatra (Association of Labor Judges), to advise on labor laws and clarify potential uncertainties related to this area of legislation. In November 2015, the “Ninth Immigrants’ March – Free Borders! No to Discrimination” was also held.