Mapping

PHASE 2: 2024 – Mapping of Evangelical Christian Organizations and Churches that carry out actions to support refugees and migrants in Brazil.

The number of forcibly displaced people reached 120 million in 2024, including internally displaced persons and refugees, reflecting the impact of conflicts, climate change, and economic crises, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

According to the latest edition of the “Refuge in Numbers” report, only in 2023, 58,628 refugee status applications were submitted in Brazil, coming from 150 countries.

We present PHASE 2 of the Mapping, which consisted of actions aimed at updating data for the 2024 context, considering that migration flows are constantly changing and the host institutions also adjust their operations, closing or adapting their activities. The goal is to make this tool increasingly realistic, practical, and useful through continuous updates and improvements, enhancing the ability to identify, connect, interact, and integrate institutions, aiming for more effective results.

Phase 2 of the Mapping was carried out through a partnership between Associação CASA, the Movement "Como Nascido Entre Nós", the International Bible Society, and Tearfund, with support from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Below we present a summary of the mapped information.

Statistics and Analysis

In the previous mapping, 105 organizations and churches participated in activities related to migration and refuge.

21 NEW INSTITUTIONS WERE ADDED TO THE MAPPING IN THIS EDITION

8 Churches (38.1%)
8 Organizations (38.1%)
2 Alliances/Networks/Collectives (9.5%)
3 Others (14.3%)

Compared to the previous year, there was a change in the chart. Most of those who stopped working on this issue were churches (11), followed by 3 organizations and 1 collective.

Partnership Work

The mapping seeks, among other goals, to enable a network to be established and strengthened among churches and organizations working on this issue, enhancing joint efforts. Networking remains a strong point, as most responding evangelical Christian churches and organizations reported working with partner institutions to provide services and assistance to the refugee or migrant population. However, 18 institutions stated that they do not work in partnership with other institutions.

“Our work was only possible thanks to the partnership with Associação CASA and the Humanitarian Support Association Panahgah.”

reported Keyla Camargo, Vice-President of Instituto Robinson Cavalcanti, Recife/PE

Staff and Volunteers

Number of volunteers working with refugee and migrant populations

Six institutions do not have volunteers working directly with refugee or migrant populations. However, the majority (29 institutions, or 33%) have between 1 and 5 volunteers, and 21 organizations (24%) have between 6 and 10 volunteers. The remaining 30 institutions have more than 10 volunteers working with this population, with 3 of them having more than 50 volunteers.

These figures highlight the importance of volunteer work in assisting migrant and refugee populations.

Number of employees working with refugee and migrant populations

More than half of the institutions (60%) do not have hired employees working directly with refugee or migrant populations. A significant share (24 institutions, 27%) has between one and ten employees, while 9 institutions have more than ten employees dedicated to this work.

Assistance Provided

116 thousand assistances

directly to refugee or migrant populations in 2023

The significant number of services provided to refugee and migrant populations covers a wide range of actions, from organizations and churches that assisted a single refugee family during the year to large projects that provided thousands of services.

Nationalities Served

Individuals from at least 40 nationalities have been assisted by the organizations and churches participating in the mapping.
The following nationalities stand out:

Venezuela

Organizations/Churches

Afghanistan

Organizations/Churches

Haiti

Organizations/Churches

Cuba

Organizations/Churches

Syria

Organizations/Churches

Angola

Organizations/Churches

Services and Assistance Offered

Among the services and assistance provided by Evangelical Christian organizations and churches, the most mentioned were spiritual support, documentation assistance, and Portuguese classes, highlighted by more than half of the mapped organizations.