Brazil: Government will use commercial flights to repatriate Brazilians

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The federal government has no plans to send a second plane to rescue Brazilians who, after escaping Ukraine in a hurry, face difficulties returning to Brazil on their own.

According to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carlos França, in case of need, the government will provide the means for Brazilians who manage to reach neighboring countries with Ukraine to be repatriated on commercial flights from private airlines.

“Given the number we have registered at the Brazilian embassy in the Ukrainian capital, Kiev, it would be more economical to remove them on commercial flights,” said the minister while speaking to journalists during the ceremony to welcome the group of 68 people who arrived yesterday, March 10, in Brasilia aboard two aircraft of the Brazilian Air Force (FAB), coming from Poland – a neighboring country to Ukraine.

Named Operation Repatriation, the operation was coordinated by Itamaraty, with the direct involvement of the Ministries of Defense and Health. France, who traveled to Poland to follow the final negotiations of the rescue mission and returned to Brazil along with the 43 Brazilians, 19 Ukrainians, five Argentines, and one Colombian, classified the operation as a success.

“We tried to give a lot of support to these people, and they all arrived well, thank God,” said the minister, emphasizing that, to ensure the well-being of the group, a doctor from the Unified Health System (SUS) was part of the committee that accompanied the entire mission.

In addition, onboard the FAB’s KC-390 Millennium multi-mission aircraft, a veterinarian was responsible for the care given to the eight dogs and two cats brought by the people.

“[On the way back] I came along with the passengers. Everyone was happy, and the children were smiling. For me, this is the best testimony that everything went well,” the minister added.

The Brazilian federal capital was the final destination of a nearly 12-hour trip that, starting in the Polish capital, had quick stops in Lisbon (Portugal), Ilha do Sal (Cape Verde), and Recife (Pernambuco), where the aircraft landed around 6:30 today and remained for about three hours.

From Brasilia, people will be able to go to their final destinations with tickets provided by airlines, but first, they will go through the administrative and sanitary procedures necessary for entry into the country.

With information from Agência Brasil