A 39-year-old Ghanaian migrant has died while being detained at Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo, Brazil, raising concerns about human rights violations in the airport’s handling of migrants.
The man, whose cause of death remains undisclosed, passed away on August 13 after receiving medical care at the airport.
Reuters reports that he was among a group of “inadmissible travellers” held in a restricted area of the airport due to a lack of proper documentation or visas to enter Brazil.
The death occurred amid alarming conditions at the airport, where hundreds of migrants from countries including India, Nepal, and Vietnam have been stranded for weeks.
These migrants are confined to a space with limited access to basic necessities such as food, water, and showers. The Public Defender’s Office has flagged these conditions as severe violations of human rights, noting the deteriorating health of those detained.
The situation has escalated as Brazil’s government plans to tighten entry rules to prevent migrants from using the country as a stopover on their way to the United States and Canada.
Starting Monday, foreign travelers without a Brazilian visa will be required to travel directly to their final destination or return to their home country. It is unclear if these new regulations will apply to the migrants already detained at the airport.
Source: Graphic