The president of the National Committee for Refugees (Conare), Sheila de Carvalho, announced this Monday (30) that she is going to Guarulhos airport, in greater São Paulo, to closely monitor the situation of Afghan citizens who have come to Brazil in search of refuge. About 20 of them are camped at the terminal, according to Carvalho.
The flow of Afghan asylum seekers in Brazil increased from September 2021, when the government published an interministerial ordinance on the granting of temporary visas and residence permits for citizens of the Asian country, which has been experiencing a serious humanitarian crisis since the return of the Taliban to power in the country in August of the same year.
Many of them arrive in the country without a support network and without a determined destination. As the Guarulhos airport is the main gateway to the country, the terminal ends up being a temporary place of stay until these people are sent to shelters or other places in Guarulhos and other cities.
Sheila de Carvalho, who is also an advisor to the Minister of Justice and Public Security, Flávio Dino, pointed out that the government has been closely monitoring the situation since January, shortly after the inauguration of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT). She reported that, during the government of Jair Bolsonaro (PL), the number of people camped reached over 300 at times.
“In response to civil society demand, since the beginning of January we have been monitoring the situation and the arrival of hundreds of Afghan people with humanitarian visas. , via Twitter.
According to the president of Conare, recent government action has made it possible to reduce the flow of Afghans camped, but the objective is to make it no longer necessary for people to stay in the terminal, as conditions are precarious. Improvised tents are set up in airport corridors, without people having access to showers, for example.
This week’s mission will involve inspection of the airport, shelters, dialogues with local authorities, international agencies and civil society. We want a definitive resolution to this situation, with due humanitarian reception to (email protected) those seeking refuge in the country (4).
— Sheila de Carvalho (@she_carvalho) January 30, 2023
Editing: Nicolau Soares
