Brazil condemns human rights abuses as deportees return from U.S. in cuffs: Video
Nearly 80 Brazilian migrants deported from the United States arrived in Brazil on January 25, 2025, sparking outrage over what officials called a "flagrant disregard for fundamental rights."
The deportees landed at Confins International Airport in Minas Gerais state after a plane carrying them was diverted to Manaus due to technical problems.
The Brazilian federal police reported 88 passengers on the flight, while the Amazonas state government listed 79 - 62 men, 11 women, and six children. Many of the deportees, including families and children with disabilities, alleged mistreatment during the journey, including being handcuffed at their wrists, waists, and legs.
"There’s nothing to talk about that trip," said Edgar da Silva Moura, a deportee and computer technician. "The plane had technical issues; the turbines kept turning on and off. If it hadn’t been for divine intervention, I think it would’ve crashed." Moura also described dire conditions on board: "We were tied up, it was unbearably hot, there was no water, and children weren’t even allowed to use the bathroom."
Brazil's Minister of Human Rights and Citizenship, Macae Evaristo, expressed alarm at the reports of abuse. "The complaints are very serious," Evaristo said. "Families, including children with autism or other disabilities, endured horrific treatment on that flight."
Moura echoed these sentiments, saying, "They treated us worse than dogs. A dog would have been treated better than us."
The Brazilian government has condemned the United States for its handling of the deportations, labelling the treatment of the migrants a violation of human dignity. The incident has fuelled calls for an investigation into the conditions faced by deportees and the oversight of international deportation processes.
