Brazil restricts entry to curb illegal migration to US, Canada

In a bid to curb illegal migration to the United States and Canada, Brazil will start restricting the entry of citizens from certain countries, including China and India.

The new regulations, set to take effect on Monday, will affect visitors who require visas to enter Brazil and do not have Brazil as their final destination, according to a document from Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security obtained by Bloomberg News.

Targeting transit passengers

The new measures specifically target migrants who arrive at Brazil’s international airports with the intention of transiting to another destination but instead abandon the final leg of their journey.

These individuals often stay in the international areas of the airports, apply for refugee status, and then seek to move northward to the U.S. and Canada.

According to the Associated Press, over 70% of refugee status requests at Brazilian airports come from citizens of India, Nepal, and Vietnam. The new rules will require passengers in international transit areas, such as São Paulo’s Guarulhos Airport, to either continue their journey or return to their country of origin.

Efforts to combat human trafficking

Brazilian authorities have identified the country as a route exploited by criminal organizations involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking. The decision to tighten entry rules follows a surge in arrivals from some Asian nations, particularly those whose nationals require a visa to enter Brazil.

“The decision was made after the Federal Police identified that Brazil had become a route for criminal organizations that smuggle immigrants and traffic in people,” the document states.

The Ministry of Justice and Public Security highlighted that this irregular migration route has become consolidated in Brazil, with fraudulent use of the refugee system becoming a significant concern.

This move comes after Ecuador temporarily suspended a visa agreement with China in June, following reports that some Chinese nationals were illegally crossing the U.S. border after journeying through Latin America.

Brazil’s new measures do not apply to citizens from Asian countries who can enter Brazil without a visa, as well as U.S. citizens and nationals from European countries that have a visa exemption.

By implementing these restrictions, Brazil aims to disrupt the activities of human trafficking networks and reduce the exploitation of its refugee system by transit passengers.