Dr Francis Vinicius Portes Virginio

Research Associate

Work, Employment and Organisation

Personal statement

Francis Portes Virginio is a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow working on his project ‘the Securitisation of Nature, Displacement and Unfree Labour in Brazil`s Amazon’ (2021-2024). 

Prior to this position, Francis was a postdoctoral researcher in a participatory project funded by ESRC (2018-2021). His work examined the formation of southern corridors of migration in the Brazilian Amazonian region and the incorporation of migrant workers in need of Humanitarian protection into industries that are part of ‘sustainable development’ agendas.

Francis has research interests in the areas of political economy, global commodity chains, forced displacement, labour migration, slave labour and socio-environmental conflicts with a particular focus in Brazil. 

He also values public engagement and community participation in research and decision-making process. He has worked closely with migrants, refugees and indigenous communities in Latin America, mediating conflict with governmental and non-governmental institutions. 

Prizes and awards

Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship
Recipient
23/5/2021
Santander Mobility Fund
Recipient
2016
Research Excellence Award - PhD Studentship
Recipient
30/7/2014
ERASMUS MUNDUS -European Commission Research Award
Recipient
28/5/2012

More prizes and awards

Qualifications

Francis holds a Ph.D. in Work, Employment and Organisation from the University of Strathclyde, a Double Master’s degree in Migration Studies and Conflict Mediation from KU Leuven (Belgium), and the University of Lille (France), and a BA in Psychology from the State University of São Paulo (Brazil). 

Regional Expertise: Latin America

Country Expertise: Brazil 

Languages: Portuguese (Native Speaker), English, French and Spanish. 

 

Publications

Contemporary slave labour on the Amazonian frontier : the problems and politics of post rescue solidarity
Portes Virginio Francis, Garvey Brian, Leão Luís Henrique da Costa, Pistorio Bianca Vasquez
Globalizations Vol 19, pp. 937-954 (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2022.2035946
Unpacking super-exploitation in the 21st century : the struggles of Haitian workers in Brazil
Virginio Francis, Stewart Paul, Garvey Brian
Work, Employment and Society (2022)
https://doi.org/10.1177/09500170211060748
Informalidade e Proteção dos Trabalhadores Imigrantes : Navegando pelo Humanitarismo, Securitização e Dignidade
Virginio Francis, I-miGRa
(2022)
Caminhantes da Terra
Rojas Pinango Rosbelli Margarita, Stefano Daniela, Portes Virginio Francis
(2022)
Amazonia em fluxo : território, tensões e trabalho
Stefano Daniela, Garvey Brian, Virginio Francis, Lepri Larissa, Virginio Francis, Garvey Brian
(2021)
Amazonia em fluxo : território, tensões e trabalho
Stefano Daniela, Garvey Brian, Virginio Francis, Lepri Larissa, Virginio Francis, Garvey Brian
(2021)

More publications

Professional activities

Logistics of social reproduction
Invited speaker
28/4/2023
International Labour Process Conference 2023
Participant
12/4/2023
The (in)securitization of migration in the Amazon frontier: Logistics, deregulation and the degradation of Work
Speaker
26/10/2022
So who is building sustainable development?
Invited speaker
12/10/2022
Latin American Geographies away weekend
Participant
2/9/2022
Forced displacement and Slave Labour in Brazil's Amazon
Visitor
4/4/2022

More professional activities

Projects

Securitisation of Nature, Displacement and Unfree labour in Brazil's Amazon
Portes Virginio, Francis Vinicius (Principal Investigator)
Leverhulme Early Career fellowship (ECF)
01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2024
UKRI CoA Covid Extension
Garvey, Brian (Principal Investigator) Portes Virginio, Francis Vinicius (Researcher) Cardesa-Salzmann, Antonio (Researcher)
UKRI sponsored extension of projects affected by Covid-19
01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2021
UKRI CoA Covid extension
Garvey, Brian (Principal Investigator) Portes Virginio, Francis Vinicius (Researcher)
UKRI sponsored extension of projects affected by Covid-19
01-Jan-2021 - 30-Jan-2021
Agrochemical use in new agricultural commodity and bioenergy production,
Garvey, Brian (Principal Investigator) Portes Virginio, Francis Vinicius (Principal Investigator)
Engagement in Scotland and Berlin regarding hazardous toxin use and trade between EU and Brazil towards reduction in health implications. With UNESP-Presidente Prudente; Angeliki Lysimachou, Director of Pesticide Action Network EuropePAN-Europe; Angelika Hilbeck Department of Environmental Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETHZ) Chair of European Network of Scientists for Social and Environmental Responsibility; Brian Wynne, Professor Lancaster Environment Centre
01-Jan-2018 - 31-Jan-2019
So who is building sustainable development? Transforming exploitative labour along southern corridors of migration (ESRC Global Challenges)
Portes Virginio, Francis Vinicius (Researcher) Garvey, Brian (Principal Investigator) Stewart, Paul (Co-investigator) Alves, José (Co-investigator)
The participatory research aims to investigate and transform the increasingly widespread link between the concentration of migrants in need of humanitarian protection along migration corridors in the Brazilian Amazonia region; the requirement of large and flexible workforces for large infrastructure projects including construction and agribusiness; exploitative labour conditions in these industries that that are part of ‘sustainable development’ agendas. The project engages workers from Brazil, Haiti, Colombia, Venezuela, Senegal and various other African states in order to:
document the influence of formal and informal agents on the migrant workers' journey and employment
identify deficits in dignified work and social protection
Collectively propose transformative solutions via a range of media;
facilitate direct social dialogue between migrant workers, project partners and government, industrial, labour and non-profit agencies,at state, regional and national level
03-Jan-2018 - 26-Jan-2021

More projects

Address

Work, Employment and Organisation
Duncan Wing

Location Map

View University of Strathclyde in a larger map