The Brazilian government has not provided any guarantees of financial support to families awaiting approval to return to the country
The Brazilian Embassy in Palestine reported on Tuesday (October 17, 2023) that two more Brazilians had given up trying to leave the Gaza Strip. A family of six had already decided not to cross the border with Egypt to return to Brazilian territory. The lack of financial support upon arrival in Brazil is one of the concerns of these groups.
There are around 26 people on the repatriation list. Among them are 17 Brazilians, 7 Palestinians with CRNM (National Migration Registration Card) and 2 Palestinians who are waiting in Khan Younis and Rafah near the border to be released to travel to Egypt. The information comes from G1.
GloboNews spoke to one of these groups to understand the reasons why the family did not want to seek refuge in Brazil.
A Palestinian family, consisting of a couple with four children aged 11 to 18, said they were afraid to come to the country for financial reasons. The father, Mohammad Farahat, the only one of the five without Brazilian citizenship, said the decision was made due to a lack of guarantees of Brazilian assistance for the group of returnees. The country only covers foreign transfers, after which returnees would have to cover other costs themselves upon arrival in Brazil.
“There is no financial support. I asked the ambassador [Alessandro Candeas, representante do Brasil na Palestina] We would like to try to cover the costs of accommodation in Brazil as well as the costs of returning to Gaza, since Gaza, like Palestine, is our home. And once the situation normalizes, we have to return home,” Farahat said.
According to the ambassador, the reception options in São Paulo are being examined by the diplomatic mission. Farahat says if the groups’ help makes a positive difference, those who dropped out might change their minds and move to Brazil.