The National Refugee Committee decided in May 2007 to resettle a group of Palestinian refugees from the Ruweished camp in Jordan, which is located about 70 km from the Iraq border, where the refugees had been staying since 2003.

The first party of 35 Palestinian refugees arrived today, 21September, to Brazil initiating the first phase of the resettlement operation. In the coming month of October, two other parties will be arriving in Brazil, 117 persons in total.

As a signatory of the 1951 Refugee Convention, Brazil has a consolidated tradition in this area, with outstanding performance within Latin America, corroborated by the Resettlement Programme with Solidarity.

The Palestinian refugees will be resettled in the states of São Paulo and Rio Grande do Sul, where the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), responsible for the funding of the operation, works in partnership with following NGOs: the Brazilian Cáritas and the Associação António Vieira.

This was an important decision of the Brazilian Government based on humanitarian principles and reflects the commitment of Brazil with the International Law on Refugees; this humanitarian gesture translates the solidarity of Brazil towards the Palestinian people.

Source: Ministry of External Relations