The Brazilian government has denied that more than 600 Brazilians have been deported from the United Kingdom in recent months.
This Sunday (1st), the newspaper The Observer published a report stating that 629 Brazilians – including 109 children – were deported on three flights between August and September in an unprecedented operation.
THE CNN, The Brazilian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the action was carried out through a voluntary return program maintained by the British Department of the Interior, and took place on commercial airline flights.
“The VRS [sigla em inglês para o “Programa de Retorno Voluntário”] It offers air tickets for migrants who wish to return to their countries of origin, as well as financial assistance to resettle in their hometowns”, declared Itamaraty in a note.
The Ministry highlighted that “this is not deportation, but rather a voluntary decision by participants to join the British initiative”.
When justifying the authorization of the Brazilian repatriation operation, the government stated that the process proposed by the United Kingdom is in accordance “with the principles of Brazilian consular assistance”.
“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”, concludes the statement.
Unprecedented operation, says newspaper
The report by The Observer, a Sunday publication linked to the traditional The Guardian, states that the British Home Department has never deported so many immigrants of the same nationality in an operation of this size. The inclusion of children was also highlighted as unprecedented.
The operation was divided into three flights:
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1st flight – August 9: 205 people, including 43 children;
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2nd flight – August 23: 206 people, including 30 children;
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3rd flight – September 27th: 218 people, including 36 children.
The report highlights that the children on the flights were with their families and many of them would have attended British schools “and would probably have spent most, if not all, of their lives in the UK”.

The newspaper even states that the flights to Brazil were classified as “voluntary and probably include people who have overstayed their visas”.
“It is not known how many people on the three flights did not want to return to Brazil for fear of their safety, but felt they had no choice but to board the planes”, ponders the Observer.
The British government offers incentives for immigrants who voluntarily return to their countries, which can reach payments of up to 3 million pounds sterling, equivalent to R$22,813, at this Sunday’s exchange rate (1st).
Last Thursday (28), Prime Minister Keir Starmer made a statement promising to reduce the number of migrants arriving in the United Kingdom. The speech took place hours after the government released official data showing that migration reached a record in the country.
A UK government spokesperson told the Observer: “We are already delivering on our plan to increase the removal of those with no right to be in the UK, with removals of foreign offenders and rejected asylum seekers at their highest level in half a decade. […] This will reduce our dependence on hotels and accommodation costs, saving around £4 billion over the next two years.”
This content was originally published in Itamaraty denies deportation of 600 Brazilians from the United Kingdom: “Voluntary return” on the CNN Brasil website.
Source: CNN Brasil

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