Brazil Grants 32 Immigrants Right to Remain and Not Be Forcibly Repatriated – Reuters

By Ricardo Brito

BRASILIA (Reuters) – Brazil has assured that 32 immigrants of different nationalities located at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos Airport will not face forced repatriation, following recent court rulings reviewed by Reuters.

These preliminary rulings respond to habeas corpus requests made by the Federal Public Defender’s Office, advocating for the immigrants’ right to remain in Brazil and apply for asylum.

The group consists of migrants from Nepal, Eritrea, Ghana, Cameroon, Vietnam, Zimbabwe, and a 16-year-old Somali boy who entered Brazil using a fraudulent passport.

All individuals benefited from the court’s orders arrived in Brazil after August 26, the date when new regulations were implemented by the Brazilian government to tighten entry permissions for visa-less travelers.

Since these new rules were enacted, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security has indicated that transit passengers lacking proper visas for Brazil, and whose ultimate destination is another country, must either continue their journey or return to their country of origin.

This policy, as outlined by the government and the Federal Police, aims to combat human trafficking networks, particularly those targeting individuals from Asia, a concern highlighted by federal investigations.

However, the Federal Public Defender’s Office has criticized these new regulations, arguing that they infringe upon the right of any individual—regardless of their transit status—to seek asylum.

Recently, reports revealed that many migrants from India, Nepal, and Vietnam had been stranded at Sao Paulo’s international airport for weeks in dire conditions, forced to sleep on the floor while waiting to gain entry into Brazil.

Attempts to reach Brazil’s Justice Ministry for comment went unanswered.