For nearly two decades, tens of thousands of people from Portugal's former colonies streamed to the former mother country in search of a better life. But now, the tide is turning. Many Portuguese are leaving their impoverished country for Brazil or Angola, whose booming economies stand in striking contrast to the high unemployment, recession and lack of future perspectives in Portugal.
About 500,000 Portuguese emigrated in the past five years, the daily Diario de Noticias recently reported, quoting official sources. That is a huge number in a total population of 10.5 million. Experts speak of one of the biggest emigration waves the country has ever seen.
More than 3 million Portuguese are now estimated to be living abroad, including people who emigrated between 1900 and 1975, and their descendants. The new emigrants head for Brazil; for lusophone African countries Angola and Mozambique; European countries; Canada; the United States or Asia. "I have lost hope," says Ana, a 27-year-old unemployed secretary who has packed her bags to travel to Brazil.
"The Portugal I know offers no future. A friend of mine has already been in Brazil for 10 months. She says the economy is booming and there are good jobs for everyone." The Latin American giant posted an economic growth of 7.5 per cent in 2010, although growth slowed down last year. Brazil is keen to hire Portuguese professionals - such as engineers or architects - especially ahead of the 2014 football World Cup and the Olympics in 2016.
According to Brazilian government figures, the number of Portuguese applying for permanent residence jumped from about 276,700 in December 2010 to nearly 330,000 by June 2011. Brazil had already been a habitual destination for the Portuguese for centuries, before and after it declared independence in 1822.
The Portuguese also have a long history in Angola, where they numbered hundreds of thousands in colonial times. Most of them left after the southern African country became independent in 1975 and was plunged into nearly three decades of civil war. Angola's oil resources are now driving an economic growth of nearly 10 per cent. It urgently needs Portuguese-speaking engineers, economists, teachers, hotel employees and others to rebuild and develop it after the war.
About 130,000 Portuguese already live in Angola, where thousands of Portuguese companies are present. "Right now, the way things stand, Portugal's main and most lucrative economic activity is the export of people," business executive Antonio Fernandes said.
He was speaking to the Spanish daily El Pais just as he was about to leave for Angola to head a branch of a multinational company specialising in energy materials in Luanda. Even Prime Minister Pedro Passos Coelho recently encouraged teachers to emigrate. The government must be "very desperate" for the premier to talk like that, said European Trade Union Confederation leader Bernadette Segol.
Portugal is mired in a deep recession, with the government expecting the economy to shrink 3.3 per cent this year. Unemployment has climbed to nearly 15 per cent. The government is slashing social services to trim the 5.9-per-cent budget deficit.
There is concern that the country may need a second financial rescue after having already been bailed out by the European Union and the International Monetary Fund. Today's Portuguese emigrants are different from those who travelled to France or Germany between the 1950s and 90s.
They are no longer looking only for low-paying jobs. They are younger, better educated, and often speak foreign languages, creating a brain drain, which has caused alarm in Portugal. While many immigrants have success stories to tell, others warn of the difficulties ahead. "There are people who come and become depressed after a week, because they cannot stand seeing streets full of garbage, being afraid to go out at night, three-hour traffic jams and the corruption in some institutions," Antonio Fernandes said of Angola.
"It is no country for weaklings," he added. Portuguese emigrating to Angola, however, often already have work contracts, making it easier for them to settle. Those moving to European countries may take bigger risks. Portuguese working in Germany sometimes faced slavery-like conditions, complained Albano Ribeiro, leader of the construction workers' trade union SCP. Ribeiro said some workers were doing 12-hour days and living in extremely crowded conditions. While in Spain, Portuguese agricultural labourers had even been beaten on some plantations, the trade union leader said.
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