The once-aspirational “American Dream” pursued by many Indians and other Asians has started to lose its appeal as Brazil prepares to impose restrictions on the entry of certain Asian nationals. These individuals often seek refuge in Brazil as a stepping stone in their illegal journey to the US and Canada.

According to a Brazilian media agency, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security has announced that, starting Aug 26 transit passengers arriving in Brazil without a visa and with a final destination in another country will be required to either continue their journey or return to their place of origin.

Brazil’s São Paulo airport is infamous for tricking the authorities in the US and Canada.

The federal police investigation shows that some Asian migrants book an entire flight and purchase tickets to travel from São Paulo International Airport to another destination.

However, they stay in Brazil and then attempt to travel to the US. As a result, starting next week, those arriving without a visa must continue their journey on the plane or return to their country of origin.

Evidence suggests that a large portion of these migrants use extremely risky routes to reach the United States. They travel from São Paulo to the western state of Acre, allowing them to reach Peru, from where they can proceed to Central America and then to the southern border of the USA.

A US-based news agency’s investigation in July revealed that migrants from India and Vietnam also use the Amazon route.

Image: Google Earth

As of July 15, Brazil’s police had received 9,084 refugee asylum requests this year. This figure is double that of 2023 and is the highest in decades.

The Brazilian government stated that the asylum process is being exploited solely to facilitate irregular migration.

An irregular migration route has emerged in Brazil, heavily influenced by individuals involved in migrant smuggling and human trafficking, with clear indications of fraudulent use of the asylum system, according to the Brazilian news agency.

More on the Dunki route..

The beginning of this year came with reports of French authorities grounding a Nicaragua-bound charter with 303 Indians on board who were allegedly trying to enter the US illegally.

According to earlier reports, statements from numerous passengers shed light on a previously concealed network. Initially individuals were routed to Mexico through Uzbekistan, Europe, El Salvador, and other Central American countries. However, recent changes in ‘visa-on-arrival’ facilities prompted a shift in tactics. The agents had started sending people illegally to Mexico via Nicaragua.

From Nicaragua, the US aspirants had to travel 3,200 kms by car to reach the US-Mexico border. To provide a perspective on the distance, Delhi to Kanyakumari covers approx 2,836 kms. 

For these journeys, the agents used to charge $3,000 (approx ₹2.50 lakh) from the aspirants.

Also read:

Agent from Valsad found to be involved in booking illegal Nicaragua flight