UNHCR welcomes Brazil humanitarian visas for Syrian refugees

The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on Friday welcomed Brazil's announcement of special humanitarian visas for Syrians and other nationals affected by the Syrian conflict who wish to seek refuge in Brazil. Brazil is the first country in the Americas region to adopt such an approach towards Syrian refugees, according to the the UNHCR. According to the announcement of Brazil's National Committee for Refugees (CONARE), Brazil's embassies in countries neighboring Syria will be responsible for issuing travel visas for people wanting to go there and the visas will also be provided to family members living in Syria's neighboring countries. So far, the number of refugees from the Syria crisis in Brazil has been small. However, according to Brizilian Ministry of Justice, the number has been gradually increasing, said UNHCR spokesman Adrian Edwards. Edwards said that UNHCR has called on states to provide for humanitarian admissions of up to 10,000 refugees from Syria in 2013. To date, Germany has offered 5,000 places for the humanitarian admission of Syrian refugees from Lebanon, and Austria has offered 500. A number of other countries have come forward with offers of resettlement places, including Australia, Canada and Switzerland, according to Edwards.