+600 Migrants Aiming For US & Canada Stranded At Brazil’s São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport

Summary

• Approximately 666 migrants from Asian countries are stranded at São Paulo airport without visas to enter Brazil.
• New Brazilian government rules requiring transit passengers to continue or return complicate migrants’ situations.
• Migrants face poor conditions at GRU airport, with limited access to necessities like food and water.

Migrants from Asian countries such as India, Nepal, and Vietnam have been stranded under poor conditions at São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) in Brazil.

Awaiting entry to Brazil

According to the Public Defender’s Office and documents reviewed by the news agency Reuters, approximately 666 people have been waiting at GRU airport without visas to enter Brazil. Some of the migrants who are trying to enter the country as asylum seekers have been waiting at the airport for weeks now.

Photo: rafaelnlins | Shutterstock

The situation is complicated by upcoming changes in government entry rules, which will take effect on August 26, 2024. Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security announced that transit passengers arriving in Brazil without a visa and whose final destination is another country will be required to continue their journey or return to their place of origin, according to Agencia Brasil.

The new rules are reportedly designed to stop foreigners from using Brazil as a stopover on their way to North America. Senior Brazilian officials told Reuters on August 21, 2024, that investigations show the migrants are trying to stay in Brazil because they face persecution and threats back home. Once they get refuge in Brazil, many of these migrants continue their journey north, mainly to the United States or Canada.

During a hearing on August 21, 2024, about the situation at GRU Airport, Federal Prosecutor Guilherme Rocha Göpfert commented on the immigration policy, saying:

“This policy must necessarily include immigrants, refugees, and stateless persons and reflect the aspirations of Brazilian society and constitutional values. The guidelines must be based on a three-pronged approach: human rights, integration, and security.”

The Brazilian news agency Agencia Brasil also revealed that the number of asylum applications at São Paulo Guarulhos International Airport increased 61-fold, rising from 69 to 4,239 between 2013 and 2023.

Poor conditions at GRU

The migrants are reportedly kept in restricted and remote areas at Guarulhos International Airport with limited access to showers and toilets. Additionally, their movements are restricted, making it difficult for them to access food and water.

Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying

The Public Defender’s Office has urgently requested better conditions for the migrants, stating that their human rights are being violated and their health is worsening while their status is being resolved.

According to a statement by the Brazilian Public Prosecutor’s Office, operators are directly responsible for travelers while they remain at the terminal awaiting asylum. Due to the overload in the Brazilian immigration system, many foreigners arriving on flights primarily operated by LATAM are unable to secure a quick release.

GRU Airport, together with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and Public Defender’s Office, is working to increase access to food, water, and the number of bathrooms available for immigrants, according to the statement.

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