The "Brazilian nationality" was the main reason cited in discrimination complaints reported in Portugal in 2021, accounting for 26.7% of the total of 408 complaints received by the Commission for Equality and Against Racial Discrimination (CICDR). While, overall, complaints of discrimination have dropped in the country — a decrease of 37.7% compared to 2020 (655) and 6.4% compared to 2019 (436) —, reports specifically against Brazilians have increased.
In 2021, there were 109 complaints for this reason, while in 2020 there were 96 reported; an increase of 13.5%. The increase is particularly expressive compared to 2017 when there were only 17 registrations. That year, however, the overall number of discrimination complaints was also much lower, with 179 complaints. The data is part of the country's latest "Annual Report on the Status of Racial and Ethnic Equality and Non-Discrimination", published without fanfare by the Commission against Discrimination on Tuesday (9).
According to the document, "with substantially lower values", the expressions "gypsy ethnicity", with 67 complaints (16.4%) and "black-skinned/black/of black race", with 65 complaints (15.9%). The more generic expression "foreigners/foreigners/immigrants in general" appears in the fourth position, with 18 complaints (4.4% of the total), "corresponding to cases in which the victims considered themselves discriminated against for being foreigners, immigrants, or non-Portuguese, the offense against a specific nationality is not at issue".
Translated by Cassy Dias