ISCTE researcher denies that there is a widespread xenophobic feeling in Portugal against Brazilians, but admits that the episodes have increased. Thaís França also regrets that the country does not openly discuss racism and xenophobia.
Researcher Thaís França warned this Saturday that anti-immigrant movements exist in Portugal and are increasingly organized, approaching their European counterparts, although without an equivalent social impact.
In anti-immigrant groups "there is a much larger, much stronger organization, there are many more groups appearing and increasingly organized, with clearer agendas, occupying more and more space, not only in social movements, but also within party politics ", warned the researcher from the ISCTE Sociology Research and Studies Center.
Funded by EEA Grants Portugal, Thaís França's study included 20 interviews with Portuguese activists who present themselves as anti-immigrants and the conclusions indicate that the agenda is similar to other European countries.
"These anti-immigration movements exist in Portugal, but they don't have as much visibility as they do in other contexts", so there is a tendency to say that the problem does not exist in Portugal, which "is a lie", he explained.
According to the researcher, "some manifestations of hate speech are beginning to appear, mainly online , cases that are seen on the street, of demonstrations against migrants", she exemplified.
Recognizing that "everything is very punctual", the researcher says that her study shows that these movements exist "in a more submerged way and are being organized".
Especially because, he highlighted, there is a growth in Portugal in "the space for these anti-immigration demands to take place, despite the fact that, until today, Portugal has had a very open policy towards immigrants".
The influx of foreigners into the country accentuates these groups' expectations of greater visibility, as previously, with traditional immigration from Portuguese-speaking countries, it contributed to the "so-called cultural shock being much less intense than what could have been seen in other countries".
The researcher, of Brazilian origin, was confronted with this in her interviews. "[Anti-immigration activists] said that my case is an exception, because I am integrated into Portuguese society because I am working and contributing", in a kind of "discourse of the noble savage" in relation to the other.
These groups advocate "greater control over the entry" of migrants and criticize "cultural diversity in schools" policies, explained the researcher.
These are organizations that "advocate that Portugal needs to change policies, which are very open to migrants, compared to other European countries", with "demand agendas" very similar to other groups in other countries.
At issue is the "risk of a loss of Portuguese identity, as more immigrants come and as Portugal begins to adopt other cultural customs that would not be traditional", explained Thaís França.
The conclusions of the project, which integrates similar studies carried out in Norway, Italy, Germany, France and Austria, will be presented on November 29th.
Despite the anti-immigrant discourse being latent in society, Thaís França does not believe that the upcoming elections in March will echo the issue.
"The issue of anti-immigration is present on Chega's agenda" and "it is trying to enter other parties", but the current political crisis "happens within a context of corruption" and this will be the main theme of the campaign, he predicted.
"If it had been a normal exit from the Government, I would believe that this issue of migration would appear more strongly on the agenda, because it is present on the political parties' agenda too", but "today I don't think so", he stated.
Cases against Brazilians have increased
Researcher Thaís França considers that the increase in cases of xenophobia against Brazilians shows the greater visibility of the issue among various sectors of Portuguese society.
Commenting on the recent case of a video spread online in which a Portuguese woman at Lisbon airport tells a Brazilian woman "go to your homeland, they are invading Portugal", among other xenophobic statements, Thaís França highlighted that the issue is also growing for the visibility given by the protagonists, although it admits that the number of cases has increased.
The situation generated controversy in Brazil, with the Minister of Justice, Flávio Dino, referring to the case: "Well, if that's the case, we have the right to reciprocity, don't we? Because in 1500 they invaded Brazil. And I agree, until they repatriate all the immigrants who are there, returning the gold from Ouro Preto with them, and then everything is fine, we are even".
For the Brazilian ISCTE researcher, this type of incident "has grown more and more", but this does not represent a structural change, because "anti-immigration mobilizations are not necessarily equivalent to isolated episodes".
"When we are talking about mobilization, we are talking about groups that organize themselves, that organize an agenda" (political agenda) and "often what we see are isolated cases, like this one", because "they are not inserted within a organized group", he highlighted, denying that there is a widespread xenophobic feeling in Portugal against Brazilians.
"I don't think it is representative of the experience of all Brazilians in Portugal, but this has grown a lot, we are increasingly hearing cases of discrimination, racism and xenophobia," he added.
However, these cases have also increased because, "nowadays, there is a much greater perspective of what xenophobia is than what racism is" and there are "many more channels to discuss these issues, which previously had less visibility".
The researcher regrets that Portugal does not openly discuss racism and xenophobia.
"Portugal has the merit that Portuguese policies are very good in terms of integrating immigrants and granting nationality", but these laws "fail to have the impact that was expected" because "there is still a denial that [ racism or xenophobia] is a problem in Portugal".
"It is as if the construction of these policies did not come as a response to a problem", but from a discourse that "'we are very advanced in terms of immigration and we want to be a country open to cultural universities'", he exemplified.
"Racism itself is a problem in Portugal and xenophobia has grown", as shown by the increase in "discrimination against immigrants", he warned.