Brazil to Impose Entry Restrictions on Asian Refugees Seeking Migration to North America
Brazil’s Ministry of Justice announced on Wednesday that starting next Monday, the country will impose new restrictions on the entry of certain foreign citizens from Asia who seek refuge as a means to migrate to the United States and Canada in the wake of an ongoing influx of migrants using Brazil as a transit point, The Associated Press reports.
According to federal police data, these migrants typically purchase flights that include layovers at São Paulo’s international airport, but remain in Brazil instead of continuing their journey, with over 70% of refugee requests at this airport coming from Indian, Nepalese, or Vietnamese nationals.
Under the new regulations, travelers arriving without visas will be required to either continue their journey by plane to their final destination or return to their country of origin, the justice ministry said.
A report by federal police investigator Marinho da Silva Rezende Júnior pointed a picture of the “great turmoil” at the airport, overwhelmed by numerous migrants, some of whom use perilous routes from São Paulo to Acre, aiming to cross into Peru en route to Central America and the United States.
The justice ministry clarified that the new guidelines would not affect the 484 migrants currently residing at São Paulo’s international airport.
Brazil’s federal prosecutors also expressed concerns about the increasing crowd of foreigners arriving through LATAM airline flights, many of whom are unable to exit quickly due to a backlog in the Brazilian migration system. They announced plans to press airlines to provide basic supplies to migrants awaiting their refugee status applications.
“It is important that we quickly decide on these refuge requests so that the growing arrival of foreigners does not impact the operation of the airport itself,” remarked federal prosecutor Guilherme Rocha Göpfert.
As of July 15 of this year, Brazil’s federal police reported receiving 9,082 requests for refuge — more than double the total for 2023 and the highest figure in over a decade. Historically, Brazil has been welcoming to refugees, particularly those from Afghanistan, regardless of political leadership.
However, the recent trend of migrants using Brazil as a temporary stop has frustrated the government, especially as the migration system already strains under the weight of those fleeing Haiti, Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.
Between September 2021 and April 2024, Brazil issued 11,248 humanitarian visas to Afghan nationals.
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, in the early days of his administration, reaffirmed the country’s commitment to the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration. While the administration has retained humanitarian visas, the guidelines for granting these visas have become more stringent in recent months.
