‘We won’t leave anyone behind’, says president Lula to Brazilian returnees from Lebanon

Brasil de Fato

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (PT) and the first lady Janja Silva welcomed the 228 people who were repatriated from Lebanon after Israel’s attacks on the country since the end of September, including 10 children and two citizens of Uruguay, at Guarulhos airbase (SP) on Sunday morning (6).

“Many are already Brazilians who were there, but those who came here because they have relatives here, can feel welcome, because we are a country with a very generous heart, and we know the importance that the Arab people have for the culture established throughout the world,” declared President Lula, who also pledged to continue the repatriation operation.

“As long as there is a comrade, whether Brazilian or related to one, there in Lebanon who wants to come to Brazil, we will go and get them, because we will not leave anyone behind,” said Lula. “May you find here in Brazil the happiness that was taken from you in Lebanon,” added the head of the Executive.

First lady Janja Silva welcomed the group and said she felt “heartbroken” for the people still in the conflict zone. “I would like to express my special affection for all the women and children arriving in Brazil today and say that our hearts also go out to the women and children who are still there,” said Janja. “And to say a message to the men of the world: please stop killing our women and children! Stop this war! The world needs peace, we don’t need bombs and more deaths,” she said.

“I’m going home,” said Mariam Sadek to the Presidency’ press team. “We are very grateful to the Brazilian government, which is always looking after its citizens,” said an emotional Raghida Hammout.

The KC-30 aircraft from the Brazilian Air Force (FAB) arrived in Beirut at 11:22 am on Saturday (5), Brasília time zone, and took around three hours to board and take off for Lisbon, Portugal, where it made a stopover before returning to Brazil.

Welcoming

On arrival in São Paulo, the group of returnees was welcomed by 35 professionals from the Ministries of Justice and Public Security, Health, Human Rights, Foreign Affairs and Development and Social Assistance, Family and Fight against Hunger, in a mega reception operation organized by the federal government. Officials from the Federal Police, Anvisa and the National Revenue Service were assigned to facilitate the immigration process. Fifteen members of the Public Health System National Force (SUS) were also assigned to update vaccinations and provide emergency medical care.

According to the Presidency of the Republic, “a task force between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Justice Department will indicate places to stay and guidance on how to get around within the national territory”. The government also said that the Ministry of Social Development has made a team of social workers available for cases in which the family no longer has defined formal links in Brazil. The Ministry is also evaluating these families’ access to the Cadastro Único, a program that identifies and registers all families across national territory, and other social programs such as Bolsa Família – a monthly grant assigned to families in need.

This Sunday’s flight is part of the first phase of the federal government’s operation to repatriate Brazilians. The expectation is that there will be two trips with around 500 passengers a week, until the approximately 3,000 Brazilians who have expressed an interest in returning to Brazil, in the face of Israel’s escalating aggressions against Lebanese territory, have been removed.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs estimates that around 21 thousand Brazilian nationals live in Lebanon, mainly in the Bekaa Valley and south of Beirut. The same aircraft that landed in São Paulo on Sunday returned to Lisbon the same day to await authorization for a new wave of repatriations.

According to the MFA, the criteria for prioritizing passengers are, firstly, Brazilians who are not resident in Lebanon, who were on a trip, then residents. The priority categories established by law will also be taken into account, such as children, the elderly, pregnant women and people with disabilities or the infirm. They also said that the economic criterion will also be taken into account, i.e. people who can leave the country on their own will have to do so.

Israeli aggression escalates

The Middle East conflict escalated following the Hamas group’s operation against Israel on October 7, 2023, in response to ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. Since then, Israeli forces have been carrying out operations against Gaza and in the north, against the Hezbollah group, Hamas’ ally in Lebanon.

On September 30, Israeli forces carried out a major attack on Lebanese territory, further escalating the conflict. Under the pretext of eliminating members of the Hezbollah group, Israeli forces have killed more than 2 thousand lebanese civilians since September 30, according to the local government. In Gaza, the death toll is over 41,500, including more than 17 thousand children.

At the reception for the returnees on Sunday, president Lula reaffirmed Brazil’s position against the escalation of aggression. “You know that we took a very tough stance against the Hamas massacre of Tel Aviv. But we also have a very tough stance against the behavior of the Israeli government, killing innocent people, killing women, killing children, without any respect for human life. The way that Israel’s president, [Benjamin] Netanyahu, has found to stay in power is to take revenge on the Palestinians and now on Beirut,” he criticized.

Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already condemned Israel’s operations in Lebanon. In a statement, the MFA said that the Brazilian government is following with concern the Israeli army’s military ground operations in the south of the country, “in violation of international law, the UN Charter and Security Council resolutions”.

“In reaffirming its defense of full respect for Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, Brazil urges Israel to immediately halt its ground incursions and air strikes on densely populated civilian areas in that country. The Brazilian government also renews its appeal to all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint and to achieve, with the utmost urgency, a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire,” said the ministry statement.