Brazil Tightens Visa Rules for Asian Nationals

Brazil will implement stricter entry rules for travelers without visas starting next week to curb the increasing trend of migrants using the country as a transit point to North America. This measure targets primarily Asian nationals, with over 70% of recent asylum seekers at São Paulo's international airport being from India, Nepal, and Vietnam. Migrants arriving without a visa will need to either proceed to their final destination or return to their country of origin. Investigations revealed that many migrants have been exploiting Brazil's visa-free transit policies to seek asylum and then travel northward through dangerous routes like the Darien Gap. The Brazilian government aims to reduce the misuse of its asylum system and combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling networks.