Brazil Remains a Country with Open Doors
HAVANA TIMES – On August 21, Brazil’s Ministry of Justice and Public Security announced a change in its immigration reception rules, which came into effect five days later.
At first glance, the news generated a certain state of panic among Cubans who are planning to emigrate to that country, and even among those of us who are already here and have someone waiting to cross over.
I remember that by then I had already planned to write a diary post where I would present the idea of Brazil as a country with open doors, with dozens of laws that favor immigrants and people with low resources.
Then that publication came out, and it reached me as a rumor: “They will limit the entry of foreigners to Brazil.” So, what now? Is the portal closed?
Brazil has been a means of escape for thousands of Venezuelans, Africans, Haitians, and Cubans over the past few years, welcoming people fleeing poverty per se or as a consequence of authoritarian regimes.
The rule actually limits entry to Brazil for those people (mainly from Asia) whose flights made a stopover in the country and, renouncing the destination reflected in their passports, applied for political asylum, only to continue their journey to countries in Europe or North America later on.
The objective of this change is to block the activities of “criminal organizations” that, according to police investigations, were using asylum as a legal resource to traffic people for profit.
Beyond that, Brazil continues to be a country whose land borders remain open, especially those with Venezuela, Peru, and Bolivia. It is also important to clarify that the South American giant maintains a policy of migratory reciprocity and currently has visa exemption agreements with 90 countries, including Mercosur members.
For over 60 years, the United States has been the primary destination for Cubans. I suppose it’s because of the economic level and also because the Cuban government only knows how to speak ill of them. People get curious, right?
With the upheavals of the last few decades, that migratory flow has become scattered to the point of absurdity, and today you can find Cubans in almost any country in the world. However, the American dream continues to reign for those on the Island.
Brazil is another alternative, but one that deserves more careful consideration because of all the advantages it offers.