Remedios And Her Family

Remedios came to Ireland in 2005 with her husband and young daughters. They lived for nearly four years as undocumented migrants. Remedios and her husband found steady work during that time, but then the economy took a downturn. Neither of them were able to find work, and they worried about the economic future of their family.

Remedios learned from another friend that IOM could help them with voluntary return to Brazil. The friend said that IOM even offered a small grant to help start a business or go back to school. Remedios and her husband talked it over, and decided that it would be best for them to take their children back to Brazil permanently. IOM assisted them in arranging their travel documents and purchasing plane tickets, as Remedios and her husband could not afford to pay for the entire family to travel.

In Brazil, Remedios’ husband applied for the reintegration grant to purchase tools to work in civil construction. He has now established himself as an independent contractor, and Remedios is able to stay home to care for their daughters. She is also using part of the grant to go back to school, and will hopefully earn a college degree. The family is optimistic about their future.