Transcontinental trajectories: Exploring Russian war-induced migration dynamics in Brazil

Abstract

The Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 resulted in a massive exodus of Ukrainians to Europe but also the emigration of Russian citizens. While attention has primarily been on the flow of Russian migrants to neighbouring countries, intercontinental migrations to regions like South America have been overlooked. This paper sheds light on the growing trend of Russians settling in Brazil. Drawing on a comprehensive dataset of migration statistics and qualitative data from empirical fieldwork conducted between 2019 and 2023 in three Brazilian cities, our analysis reveals that new Russian migrants to Brazil are primarily young, highly skilled and resourceful individuals. Unlike in other regions, family migration with young children is common among recent Russian migrants to Brazil. We show that strategic births - using the birth of children to gain  residency and citizenship -has become the primary migration channel, forming a new migration system characterised by intensive circulation and turnover between Russia and Brazil. Moreover, while Russian emigration is driven by political reasons, the incorporation of migrants into Brazilian cities is influenced by the relatively privileged economic and legal status of these families. The paper contributes to a deeper understanding of complex migration patterns in the “Global South” by illuminating a geographically unconventional flow.