India, Brazil’s prime ministers may discuss combating illegal migration at talks in Delhi this week

Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira. File | Photo Source: RV Moorthy

The fate of hundreds of men and women, many of them Indians, who are stranded at the Sao Paulo airport because they are suspected of being illegal immigrants, may be discussed in meetings with Brazilian Foreign Minister Mauro Vieira, who landed in Delhi on Sunday. Mr Vieira is in New Delhi to hold the 9th meeting of the India-Brazil Joint Commission with Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, and also to discuss the agenda for the upcoming G-20 summit in Rio de Janeiro on November 18 and 19 this year, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement announcing the visit.

“As Brazil holds the G-20 presidency this year, the ministers will also discuss how both countries as (part of) the Troika can implement key outcomes of the G-20 from India’s presidency last year,” the ministry said, adding that both sides will discuss ways to further strengthen the India-Brazil strategic partnership signed in 2006. Mr Vieira is meeting with business leaders to discuss ways to increase bilateral trade, which has ranged from $10 billion to $15 billion over the past few years.

The Joint Commission will meet Tuesday, where cooperation in defense, agriculture and energy will be on the agenda. Brazil exports oil and is working with India on biofuels.

Mr Vieira will also discuss coordinating efforts on the upcoming G-20 summit documents. While India is a key member of the “troika” of Brazil, India and South Africa (hosts in 2023, 2024 and 2025 respectively), Mr Jaishankar was unable to attend the crucial G-20 foreign ministers’ meeting due to the annual Raisina Dialogue in February, while Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman was unable to attend the finance ministers’ meeting due to the budget presentation in Parliament in July. Officials said the foreign minister’s visit would be an opportune moment to prioritise G-20 issues, particularly with regard to developing countries. India and Brazil are also members of the BRICS, IBSA and BASIC groups, and are also part of the G-4 initiative for UN reform. The ministers are likely to discuss the upcoming UN “Future Summit” to be held on 22-23 September. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Lula da Silva are expected to attend.

While Brazil’s new law aimed at cracking down on illegal immigration routes and the issue of more than 660 people, including more than 100 Indians, detained at Sao Paulo’s Guarulhos airport for weeks are not on the formal agenda, officials expect they will be raised. “We have seen reports of people in detention who are asking to be admitted (to Brazil) as refugees,” the sources said, adding that no information has been shared with New Delhi so far due to privacy concerns and protection of asylum seekers.

On August 22, the Brazilian Ministry of Justice also announced that it would impose new restrictions on travelers from “some Asian countries” who transit through its airports from August 26 (Monday) and would not allow them to stay in Brazil. The measure is expected to target in particular citizens of India, China, Nepal and Vietnam, who are considered part of a growing trend of illegal immigrants landing and applying for asylum, then using the land route from Brazil to the Mexico-United States border to cross the border into the United States and Canada. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, the number of such “asylum applications” increased 61 times between 2013 and 2023, from 69 to 4,239, and they have joined forces with other North and South American countries to curb the illegal immigration route.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Border Patrol has recorded that the number of Hindus crossing the U.S. southern border has increased to about 100,000, five times more than in 2019-20, and Hindus have now become the third-largest illegal immigrant community in the U.S.