The supposed deportation of 600 Brazilians from the United Kingdom on “secret” flights was a voluntary action by Brazilians who agreed to return to Brazil, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE). The measure caused concern from an entity that works with Latin American immigrants in the United Kingdom.
In a note sent to Brazil AgencyItamaraty reported that it was not deportation, which is when a foreigner is forced to leave the country. “It is important to clarify that this is not deportation, but rather a voluntary decision by the participants to join the British initiative,” said the MRE.
Brazilians participated in the Voluntary Returns Service (VRS), which offers financial assistance and airfare on commercial flights to foreigners without legal authorization to stay in the country.
“The voluntary return process proposed by the United Kingdom is in line with the principles of Brazilian consular assistance which, in specific cases, also finances the travel of Brazilians in situations of deprivation abroad, in addition to having a partnership of a similar nature with the Organization International for Migration (IOM). Brazilian consent to the program is based on the requirement that national participation is voluntary and may be reviewed, at any time, if these terms are changed”, added Itamaraty.
According to the British newspaper The Guardian, which found the number of 600 Brazilians allegedly deported, there has never been such a large number of people of the same nationality removed from the United Kingdom.
The human rights organization Coalition of Latin Americans in the United Kingdom (CLAUK) viewed the action with concern due to “unprecedented levels of voluntary returns among Brazilians. Among them, many children who were installed in schools are now uprooted.”
The coalition warns that there is a lack of official data on Latin Americans who participate in the program to know whether immigrants have had their rights respected.
“The government must respond to our sector’s calls for fair, accessible and safe pathways to citizenship and the settlement of the many communities that call the UK home,” the organization concluded.
