About the Migration Governance Indicators

Migrants' rights

Indicators in this domain assess the extent to which migrants have the same status as citizens in terms of access to basic social services such as health, education, and social security. It also describes the rights of migrants to family reunification, to work, and to residency and citizenship. The ratification of the main international conventions is also included within this domain.

Indicators in this category look at the extent to which migrants have access to certain social services such as health, education and social security. They also examine measures to ensure integration and access to work.

Whole of government approach

Indicators in this domain assess countries’ institutional, legal, and regulatory frameworks related to migration policies. Domain 2 also reviews the existence of national migration strategies that are in-line with development, as well as institutional transparency and coherence in relation to migration management. This domain also investigates the extent to which governments collect and use migration data.

Indicators in this category assess the institutional frameworks of cities for migration. This area also examines the existence of migration strategies consistent with development objectives, as well as institutional transparency and coherence in migration management.

Partnerships

This domain focuses on countries’ efforts to cooperate on migration-related issues with other states and with relevant non-governmental actors, including civil society organizations and the private sector. Cooperation can lead to improvements in governance by aligning and raising standards, increasing dialogue and providing structures to overcome challenges.

Indicators in this category focus on cities’ efforts to cooperate on migration issues with the national government as well as other cities and relevant non-governmental actors, including civil society organizations and the private sector.

Well-being of migrants

This domain includes indicators on countries’ policies for managing the socioeconomic well-being of migrants, through aspects such as the recognition of migrants’ educational and professional qualifications, provisions regulating student migration and the existence of bilateral labour agreements between countries. Indicators equally focus on policies and strategies related to diaspora engagement and migrant remittances.

Indicators in this category assess cities’ initiatives in terms of international student mobility, access to the labour market and decent working conditions for migrant workers. Aspects related to diaspora engagement and migrant remittances are also included in this domain.

Mobility dimensions of crises

This domain studies the type and level of preparedness of countries when they are faced with mobility dimensions of crises, linked to either disasters, the environment and/or conflict. The questions are used to identify the processes in place for nationals and non-nationals both during and after disasters, including whether humanitarian assistance is equally available to migrants as it is to citizens.

Indicators in this category examine the type and level of readiness of cities to deal with aspects of mobility crises. The questions focus on the processes in place for citizens and non-citizens both during and after disasters, especially if humanitarian assistance is available for migrants and citizens.

Safe, orderly and regular migration

This domain analyses countries’ approach to migration management in terms of border control and enforcement policies, admission criteria for migrants, preparedness and resilience in the case of significant and unexpected migration flows, as well as the fight against trafficking in human beings and smuggling of migrants. It also assesses efforts and incentives to help integrate returning citizens.

Indicators in this category look at the cities’ approaches to migrant safety as well as return and reintegration policies and the fight against trafficking in persons.

Key findings

Introduction

This profile describes examples of well-developed areas of the City of São Paulo's migration governance structures and areas with potential for further development, as evaluated by the six domains of the Migration Governance Indicators (MGI). These address migrants’ rights, a “whole-of-government” approach, partnerships, socioeconomic well-being of migrants, the mobility dimensions of crises, and safe and orderly migration.

Click the icons on the wheel to explore the key findings.

The Migration Governance Indicators (MGI) initiative is a policy-benchmarking programme led by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and implemented with the support of the Economist Intelligence Unit.

Key findings

Migrants' rights

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

Healthcare is freely accessible to all, including migrants, in Brazil. Community Health Agents facilitate contact and communication with immigrant families and help to better identify their needs and provide information on health services in the municipality of São Paulo.
The Referral and Assistance Center for Immigrants aims to promote access to rights as well as social, cultural and economic integration of the immigrant population in the municipality.
Immigrants, regardless of their migratory status or documentation, can vote for and be elected as members of the Municipal Council of Immigrants, as well as for the extraordinary seats of the Participative Councils in the municipality of São Paulo.

Areas with potential for further development:

Technical capacity-building of public agents, particularly those working directly with immigrants, include the improvement of language skills to facilitate access to offered services, especially in areas with higher concentration of immigrants.

Key findings

Whole of Government Approach

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

The Municipal Policy for the Immigrant Population, available in four languages, is a transversal and intersectoral policy focused on the immigrant population of the Municipality of São Paulo.
The Immigrant Municipal Council is responsible for formulating, monitoring and evaluating migration policy in the municipality of São Paulo.
The regional offices’ in the City of São Paulo, called subprefectures, facilitate the provision of government services in the city and the Municipal Participatory Councils of those subprefectures are composed of elected members from civil society, with reserved places for the representation of immigrants, depending on the proportion of the population in the area of each subprefecture.

Areas with potential for further development:

The municipality of São Paulo and its departments collect data on immigrants benefitting from public services provided by the municipal government, such as access to employment, health, education and shelter programmes, yet variables related to migration (such as nationality) are not always available.

Key findings

Partnerships

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

The Municipal Policy for the Immigrant Population allows the local authorities to work closely with civil society organizations to address the needs of the immigrant population.
Local authorities established partnerships with academia to produce research about the city’s immigrant population and guide policy.
São Paulo is part of the Mayors Migration Council, an international network that seeks to facilitate cities’ engagement and influence in international deliberations on migration and refuge.

Areas with potential for further development:

The city of São Paulo is not a part of any formal national or international bilateral city to city cooperation initiative on issues related to migration.

Key findings

Well-being of migrants

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

Several programmes in the municipality of São Paulo are designed to support immigrants’ entrepreneurship activities.
Various programmes promote and facilitate access to the labour market available to the population, including immigrants.
The Coordinating Unit of Policies for Immigrants and Promotion of Decent Work promotes the financial inclusion of immigrants in the banking system of Brazil.

Areas with potential for further development:

There are no initiatives at the local level to promote gender equality for immigrants in the workforce in the city of São Paulo, although there are measures (not specific to immigrants) to promote gender equality in the workforce in general.
Cooperation initiatives with the Regional Labour Superintendence are being prepared with the aim of promoting access to the issuance and renewal of job permits for the immigrant population.

Key findings

Mobility dimensions of crises

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

•   The municipality of São Paulo has a contingency plan, with attention to the specific needs of immigrants, for periods of low temperatures.

•   The Coordinating Unit of Policies for Immigrants and Promotion of Decent Work provides support in the development of materials in several languages for immigrants in the street or in specific shelters for the immigrant population.

•   The Secretariat of Social Assistance and Development has four shelters focusing on the needs of the immigrant population, besides shelters for the general population that can also be accessed by immigrants.

Areas with potential for further development:

There are no explicit local strategies to deal with migratory movements caused by environmental degradation and the adverse effects of climate change.
There is no official contingency plan for managing large-scale population movements in times of emergencies.

Key findings

Safe, orderly and regular migration

Migration Governance: examples of well-developed areas:

The city of São Paulo facilitates the arrival of immigrants through the creation of the Referral and Assistance Center for Immigrants; which receives immigrants and guides them through the public system to access benefits and services.
The Municipal Department of Human Rights and Citizenship is responsible for acting in cases of human rights violations in the city of São Paulo, including combatting human trafficking and forced labour.
The Federal Police, which operates at the international airport of São Paulo in the city of Guarulhos, is in constant and direct contact with São Paulo’s municipal bodies to respond to immigrants’ needs and direct them to specific services.

Areas with potential for further development:

The collaboration between federal government and local governments in migration management and immigrant integration is limited; whereby the municipality of São Paulo provides advice rather than actively participating in decision-making.

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