UNHCR welcomes arrival of first Afghan refugee families to Brazil

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, last week welcomed the arrival of the first Afghan refugee families under Brazil’s newly launched Community Sponsorship Programme, a pioneering initiative within Latin America to resettle, protect and integrate people forcibly displaced by the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

The first arrivals – 18 people from four families, including women, children and adolescents – landed on Tuesday in São Paulo from Pakistan.

Their reception and integration are being supported by Panahgah, a civil society organization tasked by the Brazilian Government to sponsor and accompany refugees throughout their integration journey. 

Panahgah will welcome a total of 500 people in 2025. 

Two other civil society organizations – Estou Refugiado Institute and Missão em Apoio à Igreja Sofredora (MAIS) – are also participating in the initiative and will welcome an additional 224 and 200 resettled refugees this year, respectively. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also supported the process of receiving the families.

“Amid declining global resettlement opportunities and critical humanitarian funding shortages, Brazil’s commitment to expanding community sponsorship is particularly commendable,” said Davide Torzilli, UNHCR Representative in Brazil. 

“The fact that the integration of these refugee families is being driven by private funding and the engagement of civil society makes this initiative even more noteworthy.”