Hundreds of migrants from India, Nepal, and Vietnam have been stranded for weeks in Sao Paulo’s international airport under troubling conditions. According to the Public Defender’s Office and documents seen by Reuters, these migrants have been forced to sleep on the floor while waiting for permission to enter Brazil. The situation is becoming increasingly dire, as many have no access to basic necessities such as showers, food, or even blankets to keep warm during the cold winter months. A tragic case has also emerged of a 39-year-old migrant from Ghana who passed away two weeks ago, though the exact cause of death remains unclear. It is uncertain whether he died while being held at the airport or while being transported to a hospital.
Currently, there are at least 666 migrants without visas waiting to enter Brazil at Guarulhos airport. Adding to their uncertainty, the Brazilian government plans to tighten entry rules starting Monday to limit the flow of migrants using Brazil as a transit point to reach the United States and Canada. This change in policy could mean even longer waits for those already in the airport, as well as increased difficulty for new arrivals seeking to enter the country. The Public Defender’s Office has expressed grave concerns about the violation of human rights, noting that the health of many migrants is deteriorating due to the harsh conditions they face.
The agency has called for urgent improvements to the living conditions of these migrants while their legal status is being resolved. They have urged Brazilian authorities to adhere to the country’s humanitarian principles, which include accepting refugees and not forcibly returning them to their home countries. Despite these calls, the new rules set to take effect on Monday require foreign travelers without a Brazilian visa, who are en route to another destination, to either continue on to their final destination or return to their home country.
Brazil has seen a sharp increase in foreign travelers, particularly from Asian countries, who claim refugee status upon arrival. Many allege persecution and threats in their home countries, using Brazil as a stopover on their journey to North America. However, most of these travelers do not remain in Brazil once they are able to move northward. The Brazilian government has responded by stating that those arriving without a visa will no longer be permitted to stay in the country. There is still uncertainty about whether these new rules will affect those already stranded at the airport or only those arriving after the new regulations take effect.
Experts in immigration have raised concerns that Brazil’s proposed rules could conflict with the 1951 U.N. Refugee Convention, which Brazil is a part of. This convention obliges countries to offer protection to individuals who are at risk in their home countries, regardless of their documentation status. The head of Brazil’s refugee committee, Jean Uema, clarified that these rules would specifically apply to arrivals at Sao Paulo airport and that there would be no broader change to Brazil’s policy on asylum seekers.