Municipal Council of Immigrants

In the City of São Paulo, the "Municipal Council of Immigrants" allows immigrant residents to participate in the formulation, implementation and monitoring of the city's policies. The Municipal Council of Immigrants was created by Municipal Law 16.478/2016. Its members are of 22 different nationalities and were officially invested in last August to serve the 2018-2020 term.

The Council is linked to the Municipal Secretariat of Human Rights and Citizenship. The Immigrant Council is the result of the need to give opportunities to refugees and migrants to participate in political actions, as they do not have the right to vote in Brazilian elections.

São Paulo was the first city in Brazil to develop a municipal law and council for migrants. to promote migrant rights and to support their inclusion. This is particularly relevant since migrants are not allowed to vote as per the federal legislation; thus, the municipal council for migrants ensures their participation in the decision-making process. Since 2015, the city has established a minimum 50% quota for women migrants of different nationalities within their municipal council for migrants. Intended to ensure a leadership position and participation of migrant women in the municipal council, there are also mechanisms set in place to ensure that the needs of migrant women are considered.

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