Brazil received nearly 900 Ukrainians since the start of the Russian invasion

Almost 900 Ukrainian citizens arrived in Brazil since the beginning of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and at least thirty applied to the authorities of the South American country for a humanitarian visa.

According to data from the Federal Police, released by Agenzia Brasil, the Brazilian government news office, the Latin American giant received a total of 894 Ukrainians between February 24 and March 17.

Of that total, the Brazilian authorities have received 21 requests for temporary visas, five applications for residency and two requests for provisional visas.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also reported that more than 30 Ukrainians have gone to Brazilian diplomatic representations located in eastern Europe, especially in Poland, to apply for a humanitarian visa since the start of the Russian invasion.

At the end of February, the President of Brazil, Jair Bolsonaro, announced that the country would offer the humanitarian visa to Ukrainian citizens who want to leave their nation in the midst of the war.

The document, the Foreign Ministry recalled, can be granted to both Ukrainians and stateless persons who “have been affected or displaced by the armed conflict”.

“The Federal Government is also facilitating the conditions of entry into the country for refugees from Ukraine,” the Ministry completed in a statement.

Last Friday, a group of 29 Ukrainian refugees, including ten women, two men and 17 children, arrived in Brazil after receiving the humanitarian visa and supported by an international network of Christian missionaries.

The group landed at Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo and was transferred to the cities of Prudentópolis and Guarapuava, both in southern Brazil and where most of the nearly 600,000 descendants of Ukrainians residing in the South American country are concentrated.

The Foreign Ministry further indicated that, since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, it has already assisted in the departure of more than 210 nationals from Ukraine, where the Brazilian community was estimated to be around 500 people before the attacks by Russian troops.

“Humanitarian passport”

Brazil created a “humanitarian passport” to receive Ukrainian refugees. President Jair Bolsonaro said the move is part of his country's efforts to house “all refugees” from Ukraine.

The head of state, who has been adamant to adopt what he called a “neutral” position on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, stressed more than once that he hopes the conflict will end soon and that Brazil wants “peace throughout the world.”

Bolsonaro also commented that Brazil is home to a large Ukrainian community, including some 600,000 people in the southern state of Parana.

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