Brazil Tightens Visa-Free Entry to Curb Migrant Flow

Brazil is tightening visa regulations starting next week, requiring foreign travelers without Brazilian visas to proceed to their final destinations or return home. The move comes as many migrants, particularly from Asia, use Brazil as a gateway to the United States and Canada, often requesting refuge upon arrival.

Brazil will tighten up rules to enter the country without a visa starting next week, the government said on Wednesday, following an uptick in migrants using the nation as a stop-over en route to the United States and Canada.

Starting on Monday, foreign travelers without a Brazilian visa must either travel on to their final destination or return to their home country, Brazil's public security ministry confirmed in a statement provided to Reuters. The South American country has seen a surge in foreign travelers, mainly from Asia, arriving for layovers but then applying for asylum.

According to police investigations, migrants often allege persecution in their home countries to secure refuge in Brazil and later proceed north via the perilous Darien Gap. From January to June 2023, over 8,300 asylum requests were filed at Brazil's main international airport, but only 117 remained active, indicating that 99.59% either left or stayed illegally. More than 70% of the applicants were from India, Vietnam, and Nepal, a noticeable deviation from historical patterns.

(With inputs from agencies.)