From the Newsroom*
São Paulo – Brazil received, on Monday (5), a second group of Palestinian refugees. The group of 35 refugees arrived in the country from Ruweished camp, in Jordan. Brazil had received a first group on September 21. A third group should arrive by the end of the year. This information was posted on the United Nations (UN) site.
The government of Brazil is going to receive approximately 100 Palestinian refugees. This decision was taken by the National Committee for Refugees (Conare), presided by the Ministry of Justice. The Conare is made up of other federal and non-governmental organisations, like the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which is in charge of receiving the Palestinians.
The refugees will be sent to the states of São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul, where the UNHCR works in partnership with NGOs Cáritas Brasileira and Associação Antônio Vieira (Asav). The refugees are gong to receive assistance to pay their rent and purchase furniture and also material assistance, as well as Portuguese lessons. The children should start going to school in 2008.
According to figures supplied by the Conare, Brazil houses around 3,400 refugees from 69 different nationalities. A large share of the refugees, 78%, comes from Africa. Most of the refugees in Brazil, 1,648, come from Angola.
*Translated by Mark Ament
