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Brazilians Living in the United Kingdom Report the Tightening of Migration Rules, the Significant Increase in the Cost of Living, and the Psychological Pressure of Illegality, Factors That Have Led Thousands to Accept Assisted Return Programs Offered by the British Government
In recent years, the dream of building a life abroad has turned into frustration for many Brazilians who chose the United Kingdom as a destination. Although the initial promise involved safety, financial stability, and quality of life, reality has become marked by increasing difficulties. As a result, between January and September 2024, about 2,500 Brazilians applied for what is known as voluntary return, a significantly higher number than recorded in the same period of 2023, when 1,700 people chose to leave the country in an assisted manner.
The information was disclosed by DW Brasil, based on investigations made for the podcast DW Revista, which heard from experts, researchers, and Brazilians who experienced this return process. Currently, it is estimated that about 230,000 Brazilians live in the United Kingdom, forming the second largest Brazilian community in Europe, behind only Portugal. Still, for a portion of this population, staying in the country has become financially and emotionally unfeasible.
What Is Voluntary Return and Who Can Apply
The so-called voluntary return service is aimed at people who entered England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland illegally, exceeded the permitted stay period of their visa, or had asylum and residency requests denied. Additionally, victims of modern slavery can also apply for this assistance. Although the term “voluntary” is used officially, experts point out that in many cases it is the only possible alternative in the face of the imminent risk of deportation.
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In this program, the British government covers the cost of the return airfare and provides financial support of up to £3,000, an amount equivalent to approximately R$ 19,000, depending on the exchange rate. However, those who join the program are prohibited from returning to the United Kingdom for up to five years, which makes the decision even more delicate.
Still, in light of increased enforcement and the difficulty of regularization, many Brazilians have begun to see voluntary return as a less traumatic exit. This movement reflects, above all, the tightening of migration policies adopted in recent years.
Stricter Migration Rules, Brexit, and Rising Cost of Living
One of the main factors explaining the increase in voluntary returns is the tightening of migration policies in the United Kingdom. Since March of last year, new rules have made it difficult for foreigners to remain legally, including those who entered the country legally. A clear example of this is the change in requirements to bring family members or dependents.
Previously, those with work visas needed to prove a minimum annual income of £26,000 to bring their family. This amount has been raised to around £39,000 per year, which is equivalent to approximately R$ 285,000 annually. This income is compatible with full or even senior level positions, which, in practice, excludes many Brazilians who are in their first jobs in the country.
Moreover, even with the government change, migration guidelines have been maintained. The Labour Party, which took power after the elections, not only preserved the previous rules but also maintained a policy considered openly anti-immigration. Among the announced goals is the expansion of detentions of illegal immigrants by at least 15%, which has increased fear within the Brazilian community.
Another relevant point is the impact of Brexit, which removed automatic residency rights for citizens with dual European nationality. Brazilians holding Portuguese, Italian, or other EU country passports, who previously could live and work in the United Kingdom without a visa, now depend on formal authorizations. Many had their visas expire and ended up entering illegally.
In addition, the cost of living has skyrocketed. Rising rents, expensive food, and increasing basic expenses have made maintaining a minimally stable life increasingly difficult. Thus, many Brazilians find themselves trapped in a precarious financial situation, with no prospect of regularization.
Why the British Government Prefers Voluntary Return
Although at first glance the voluntary return program may seem like a humanitarian gesture, experts say that the initiative primarily serves the economic interests of the British government itself. According to data from the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, the average cost of a voluntary return is around £7,000, approximately R$ 53,000.
On the other hand, a forced removal or deportation can cost up to £15,000, an amount that exceeds R$ 100,000, considering expenses with detentions, police operations, food, transportation, and bureaucracy. Therefore, in addition to being less costly, voluntary return relieves pressure on the prison and administrative systems.
Official data shows that more than 1,000 Brazilians were detained in the United Kingdom in 2024 for immigration issues, an increase of 88% compared to the previous year. Brazil appeared as the third nationality with the most detentions, behind only Albania and Romania. Of those detained, 413 Brazilians were ultimately deported.
Although Brazil is not on the list of 24 countries with formal voluntary return agreements with the United Kingdom, the British government offers this possibility to Brazilians as it considers the country a “safe” destination for return, with no humanitarian crises or armed conflicts.
How the Process Works and the Challenges After Returning
Until March 2022, the voluntary return process included in-person support from partner NGOs of the Home Office, the agency responsible for immigration. However, since then, the procedure has become completely online. The applicant fills out a form, waits for a phone call, and attends an office to sign the documents.
Currently, the process can take between five and six months, although reports indicate that in some cases, the airfare is sent with only one week’s notice, making it difficult to organize life before returning. The amount of £3,000 is made available through a card that can only be activated in Brazil, usually at a private bank, subject to fees.
A Brazilian interviewed reported that she needed to make three or four withdrawals, paying fees for each transaction, which resulted in a loss of approximately R$ 4,000. Even so, the money allowed her to reorganize her life, open a small business, and resume her routine in Brazil.
In the end, although officially called voluntary, assisted return is seen by many Brazilians as the last possible alternative in the face of bureaucratic, financial, and emotional pressures. The experience reveals that for a significant portion of the Brazilian community in the United Kingdom, the European dream has been replaced by the need to start over in their own country.
Would you leave behind years of effort, work, and dreams abroad to start over in Brazil, or would you continue insisting even in the face of the fear of deportation, financial difficulties, and life in illegality in the United Kingdom?
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