KATHMANDU, AUGUST 25
Hundreds of migrants from Nepal, India, and other countries are reportedly being held at São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport in Brazil for weeks. The health condition of these migrants, who are awaiting the Brazilian government's decision on their entry, is deteriorating, according to a Reuters report.
According to the reports, at least 666 migrants without visas are being detained in restricted areas of the airport. Some of the areas are severely lacking basic amenities, with many forced to sleep on the floor without access to showers or adequate space for movement. Food and water shortages are also a major concern, with children and adolescents suffering the most as they endure the winter cold without blankets.
The prolonged detention has led to worsening health conditions among the migrants. The Federal Public Prosecutor's office, the Federal Public Defender's Office and the concessionaire managing Guarulhos Airport have urged airlines to provide support to the immigrants with hygiene products and food, Agência Brasil reported.
The Brazilian government has announced plans to tighten entry rules to control the influx of foreigners using Brazil as a stopover to reach the United States and Canada. The Ministry of Justice and Public Security stated that, starting August 26, 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.
Under these new rules, passengers without a visa for Brazil who are in the international transit area of the airport will not be allowed to enter the country. However, a statement received by Agência Brasil clarified that the stranded passengers would not be deported, as Brazil is not their final destination but merely a transit point.
"Since passengers, when purchasing their tickets, indicate that their intention is only to transit through Brazil, deportation measures do not apply. Instead, they will be directed to continue their journey to their final destination," the statement explained.
The number of asylum applications at Guarulhos International Airport has surged over the past decade, increasing 61 times from 69 in 2013 to 4,239 in 2023, which has been reportedly misused to circumvent the visa requirement for entering Brazil and following irregular migratory routes to USA and Canada.
Now, the migrants without visas are stranded at the terminal, awaiting the processing of their asylum applications while the Brazilian government reviews their cases.
