The Brazilian government has announced a change in the humanitarian reception policy for Afghans on the grounds that Brazil has established itself as a gateway for immigrants who, fleeing the Taliban, seek to emigrate to the United States along dangerous routes.
The ordinance published this Tuesday (26) establishes that, from October onwards, visas will only be granted to Afghans if the availability of places in shelters is proven — which would happen through cooperation agreements signed between civil society organizations and the state.
The change comes months after an outbreak of scabies among immigrants from the country who lived at São Paulo International Airport, in Guarulhos. However, the alteration has raised concerns among activists and experts.
This is because the measure resembles a criticized mechanism of American migration policy: the "sponsor", a requirement that, in order to apply for a visa, the migrant must prove in advance that they have an employer or place to stay in the destination country.
The national secretary of Justice, Augusto de Arruda Botelho, states that the change seeks to improve the reception of Afghans, who still do not have a solid base in Brazil.
Since the beginning of 2022, this group has begun to make up the flow of migrants crossing the Darién Strait, the so-called "jungle of death" between Panama and Colombia.
Translated by Cassy Dias