More than 10,000 Portuguese and Brazilian citizens who once worked as migrants in either Brazil or Portugal are currently receiving emigration pensions from both countries, as confirmed by

the Brazilian Ministry of Social Welfare to Lusa.

According to the information provided, there are 8,000 beneficiaries in Portugal under the bilateral agreement signed in 1991, while Brazil has 2,800 individuals benefitting from the same arrangement.

These individuals had worked in their home country as well as the country they migrated to, allowing them to receive pensions from both nations.

Despite the benefits offered through this agreement, it was noted that many Brazilians working in Portugal and Portuguese individuals in Brazil are unaware of the existence of this pension provision.

In response to this issue, a mixed Brazilian commission consisting of technical representatives from the Ministries of Social Welfare, Health, National Institution, Social Security, and a data handling company for Brazilian welfare, recently met in Lisbon to discuss ways of simplifying the access procedure for the pensions.

The commission aims to take into account the changes in labor laws that have occurred in both countries in recent years and improve the accessibility and user experience in accessing the pensions.

Officials from the Portuguese side, including representatives from the Ministry of Labor, Solidarity, and Social Security, and the Ministry of Health, were also present during the discussions.

The ultimate objective is to streamline the process and make it more user-friendly, ensuring that beneficiaries can easily access the benefits they are entitled to under the agreement. Photo by República Federativa do Brasil, Wikimedia commons.