Thirty Afghans remain camped at Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo, according to the National Committee for Refugees (Conare). The airport has been the main gateway into Brazil for Afghans fleeing the radical Taliban regime. The number of refugees fluctuates depending on the arrival of flights.

In October, at the height of the migration flow, around 300 people were camping in makeshift tents in Terminal 2 of the airport. According to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP), most have been sent to city halls and state government shelters.

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Faced with the intense arrival of Afghans in Brazil, the ministry team went this week to the airport, shelters where the refugees were accommodated and met with local authorities in search of a definitive solution for the humanitarian reception of Afghans. “We are committed, within the framework of the Ministry of Justice, to implementing a definitive solution for a humanitarian reception of the Afghan population arriving in our country. people arriving from a territory with this serious and generalized violation of human rights. man,” said Sheila de Carvalho, president of Conare.

Between September 2021 and December 2022, the Brazilian government issued 6,302 humanitarian visas to Afghans, of which more than 3,000 entered through Guarulhos airport from January to October last year. Brazil is the only country to grant this type of visa to the Afghan population, according to the Ministry of Justice. About 2,000 Afghans passed through the airport’s humanized assistance station.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), most of the refugees are men, aged between 18 and 59, with a university education. For most, Brazil is just a stopping point, with the final destination being the United States, Canada, and some European countries.