Federal Police Investigating People Trafficking Route Through Brazil for Iraqis and Syrians

02/16/2015 - 12h02

The Federal Police is investigating a people trafficking route through Brazil for Syrians and Iraqis fleeing war and persecution in their home countries.

The refugees, who use false passports, are trying to arrive in Europe. Part of them are fleeing the war in Syria. The other, persecution at the hands of the militant group Islamic State (Isis).

The suspicion is that some of the false documents are being produced in Rio, and there are concerns that federal police officers may be involved in the scheme.

Officially, the Federal Police says it is investigating "the possibility that there may be some kind of logistical support to people traffickers in Brazil."

The police say that at least 60 people used or attempted to use false passports - most of which were Israeli - to leave the country in recent months.

However, in most cases, the false passports were manufactured abroad, though in at least two cases discovered by this report, the passports were delivered inside Brazil.

The investigations began in June, just days before the start of the World Cup, when six Syrians were detained at the airport in Salvador trying to board a plane to Madrid with false Bulgarian passports.

Andrés Ramirez, representative of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in Brazil, suggests that tighter borders in Europe and the risks of sea crossings are motivating Syrians and Iraqis to try longer migration routes.

The Brazilian government's recent flexibility in granting visas for those fleeing the Syrian conflict has also influenced the refugees' choice of Brazil as a route.

Translated by TOM GATEHOUSE

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	Editoria de Arte/Folhapress