Hundreds of Ghanaians who entered
Brazil as tourists to watch World Cup
games have asked for asylum, police
in southern Brazil made the claim on
Thursday.
Noerci da Silva Melo who heads the
Federal Police office in the city of
Caxias do Sul said that over the past
week 200 Ghanaians asked for
asylum. The Justice Ministry will
decide whether to grant their
requests and in the meantime, they
are allowed to work and circulate in
Brazil.
The Justice Ministry did not
immediately comment.
Melo said close to 150 of the
Ghanaians have left Caxias do Sul for
the states of Sao Paulo and Santa
Catarina where they have a better
chance of finding employment.
Melo said the Ghanaians claimed they
were Muslims who were “fleeing the
violent conflicts between different
Muslim groups.”
He said they all entered Brazil legally
to watch their country’s team play in Natal, Fortaleza and Brasilia.
Vanessa Perini Moojen of the Roman
Catholic Church’s Migrant Support
Center said the asylum-seekers
“faced life-threatening situations
back home.” She would not elaborate.
“They feel they can find work and
better living conditions in Brazil,” she
added.
The center provided temporary shelter
for the Ghanaians at the city’s
seminary and helped them prepare
their asylum requests.
Ghana finished last in its group,
losing to the United States and
Portugal and reaching a draw with
Germany.
Comments
Post a Comment