Francisco Tavares, former Mayor of Brava, calls for the return of emigrants to boost Brava's development
City of Nova Sintra, August 29, 2025 (Bravanews) - The former mayor of Brava, Francisco Tavares, recently launched an appeal to the Brava diaspora, encouraging emigrants to physically return to the island to contribute directly to the local development process.
In a reflection posted on social media, Tavares highlighted that, despite constant talk of abandonment and alleged negative discrimination on Brava, one of the island's greatest weaknesses remains its small population. "Brava needs people, a population to justify all the investments we demand as its merit," he emphasized.
The former mayor noted that many investments made by the Central Government ultimately lose their impact due to demographic decline. He cited as an example the construction of schools that, due to a lack of students, had to be closed, as well as the constant exodus of qualified young people who, after completing their studies abroad, rarely return to work on the island.
According to Tavares, Brava has received, proportionally to its size and population, more financial resources than other islands. However, the central problem lies in the lack of a critical mass of residents capable of boosting sectors such as education, healthcare, agriculture, fishing, and services.
The former president went even further, launching a "dream": the return of approximately 4,500 emigrants, which would increase the local population to 10,000. "Everything would change," he stated, emphasizing that such a movement would provide the island with teachers, doctors, engineers, businesspeople, and local leaders prepared to transform the socioeconomic landscape.
Recognizing, however, the difficulty of achieving this ambition, Francisco Tavares warned that such a return would involve sacrifices, as wages and living conditions on the island hardly compare to the standards of the emigrant communities. Still, he argued that the direct contribution of the children of Brava would be a true "act of love" for their homeland.
Tavares concluded his message reflectively, admitting that his words could sound like a dream or even a "nightmare," but reiterated the importance of each Bravense reflecting on the role they can play in the island's future.
