A 39-year-old Ghanaian migrant has died while being detained at Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo, Brazil, prompting serious concerns about the treatment of migrants at the facility.
The individual was part of a group of “inadmissible travellers” held in a restricted section of the airport due to the absence of proper documentation or visas to enter Brazil, according to a report by Reuters. This death has occurred amid increasingly troubling conditions at the airport, where hundreds of migrants from nations such as India, Nepal, and Vietnam have been stranded for weeks.
These migrants have been confined to an area with limited access to basic necessities such as food, water, and showers. Brazil’s Public Defender’s Office has described these conditions as severe violations of human rights, noting the worsening health of those detained.
The situation has intensified as Brazil’s government prepares to implement stricter entry regulations aimed at preventing migrants from using the country as a stopover en route to destinations like the United States and Canada. Starting Monday, foreign travellers without a Brazilian visa will be required to either travel directly to their final destination or return to their country of origin. It remains uncertain whether these new rules will apply to the migrants currently detained at Guarulhos International Airport.
