I. Introduction: Indigenous Peoples Under Threat
Brazil’s indigenous peoples, guardians of some of the most biodiverse territories on the planet, face relentless threats to their rights, lands, and cultures. Despite constitutional protections, they continue to endure violence, exploitation, and displacement. State neglect, corporate greed, and targeted repression have combined to erode indigenous communities’ safety and survival. For many, migration has become the only means of securing dignity and protection abroad.

II. Historical Legacy of Marginalisation
The marginalisation of Brazil’s indigenous peoples dates back to colonial conquest, when communities were dispossessed of their lands and subjected to forced assimilation. Although Brazil’s constitution recognises indigenous rights, the historical legacy of exclusion persists, shaping political, social, and economic structures to this day.

III. Land Rights Under Siege
Indigenous territories are constantly threatened by illegal land grabs, logging, and mining. Corporate interests, often operating with government complicity, exploit indigenous lands for profit. Communities that resist are met with harassment, violence, and forced displacement, sparking a steady flow of migration.

IV. Violence Against Indigenous Leaders
Indigenous leaders defending land and cultural rights are frequent targets of threats, intimidation, and assassination. Their activism places them at the frontlines of conflict with powerful state and corporate interests, making them particularly vulnerable.

V. Environmental Destruction and Cultural Loss
Deforestation and environmental degradation devastate ecosystems that indigenous communities depend on for their livelihoods and spiritual practices. As forests are destroyed and rivers polluted, traditional ways of life become unsustainable, eroding cultural identity and survival.

VI. Health and Social Inequalities
Indigenous communities face chronic underinvestment in healthcare, education, and infrastructure. High rates of malnutrition, preventable diseases, and poverty highlight the state’s neglect. These inequalities, compounded by rights violations, push many to abandon their homelands.

VII. Criminalisation of Protest
When indigenous groups mobilise to defend their lands and rights, they are often criminalised. Protests are labelled as threats to national development, and security forces respond with violence and arrests. This repression silences dissent and forces communities to seek safety abroad.

VIII. Gendered Impacts on Indigenous Women
Indigenous women face intersecting forms of violence, including sexual exploitation and gender-based discrimination. Their leadership roles in defending communities make them particular targets of threats and abuse, driving them to migrate with their families.

IX. Impunity and Weak Legal Protections
Despite constitutional guarantees, indigenous peoples rarely receive justice for violations committed against them. Cases of land invasion, murder of leaders, and environmental crimes are left unresolved, reinforcing cycles of impunity and vulnerability.

X. Internal Displacement and Cross-Border Migration
Indigenous peoples are frequently displaced within Brazil, forced into overcrowded cities where they face poverty and discrimination. For many, this displacement becomes a stepping stone toward migration abroad, as they seek asylum in countries offering greater protections.

XI. Diaspora Advocacy and International Solidarity
Indigenous Brazilians in exile and their allies advocate internationally for the protection of ancestral lands and cultural survival. Their activism pressures global institutions to hold Brazil accountable for indigenous rights violations and environmental destruction.

XII. Conclusion: Migration as Cultural Survival
Indigenous peoples in Brazil face systemic rights violations that endanger their lives, lands, and traditions. For many, migration is not only a means of survival but also an act of cultural preservation. Until Brazil enforces protections and addresses systemic inequalities,
indigenous communities will continue to be driven into exile in their struggle for dignity and survival.