When leaving the arrivals door of Confins airport, this Saturday (30), a group of 13 Ukrainian refugees came across banners with the message “we are with Ukraine” and heard people shout “Laskavo Procimo”, welcome. The greeting was met with tears, in an emotional reception.
Without speaking Portuguese or English, Vira Uhnich, 40, said in Russian that the decision to come to Brazil was difficult due to the distance, adding that the initial desire was to go to Poland, the country that has most received those fleeing the war. Uhnich left Kremenchuk, in central Ukraine, with his 12-year-old son.
Ian Illichov, 51, for his part, came with three children, aged 8, 4 and 2, and his wife. Olena Zibrova, 66, the oldest of the group, was touched by the reception of Brazilians, smiling at each “welcome” received.
The arrival of the group of Ukrainians – the third since the beginning of the Russian invasion, on February 24 – was made possible by the GKPN (Global Kingdom Partnership Network), an organization of Christian missionaries and businessmen present in more than 100 countries. In all, the initiative wants to welcome 2,500 refugees worldwide.
According to the Federal Police, until Tuesday (26), 112 foreigners had already entered Brazil fleeing the conflict in Europe. The reception of these people was facilitated by an ordinance issued by the federal government in early March, which guaranteed to those displaced by the war the granting of a temporary visa and authorization to reside in the country. The agency does not estimate how many refugees may disembark in Brazil.
In Belo Horizonte, the newly arrived group will be received by the Central Baptist Church, which for a year will pay for the families’ stay in housing units, in addition to guaranteeing food, Portuguese courses and schools for the children. The same occurs with Ukrainian families who arrived in the country previously and who are living in Curitiba and São José dos Campos.
“The cause of immigrants is very sensitive, God told us to take care of the foreigner. So, when we saw the war in Ukraine, we decided to give full support to these people”, says Pastor Paulo Mazoni, the main coordinator of the reception for refugees in the capital of Minas Gerais. General. According to him, next week another 15 Ukrainians will arrive in the city – the church helps, in all, 50 people who came from the European country.
The refugees who disembarked in Confins on Saturday were carrying small suitcases, a sign that they had left most of their belongings in Ukraine. “They arrive with the clothes on their backs, so go to the hotel now, and we’ll make clothes available. We’ve set up a beautiful store with clothes in various sizes.”
On Sunday, the expectation is that the Ukrainians will be taken in the morning to the church, where they will be welcomed in a service. Among the approximately 50 people who accompanied the group’s disembarkation was Vitalli Afanasiev, a Ukrainian from the Donetsk region and a resident of Belo Horizonte for 15 years.
He arrived at the airport with flags of his country and wearing a blouse with the phrase “Slava Ukraini”, that is, “Glory to Ukraine”, a common cry among the Ukrainian population since the Russian invasion. “I came here to do my part. We like to fight each other a lot, but when it’s an external enemy, we stick together.”
Unlike what happened with the previous wave of Ukrainians who arrived in the country, this group must stay in Belo Horizonte for at least one year. In the cases of the last few weeks, several went to Prudentópolis, a city in the interior of Paraná, whose majority of the population is of Ukrainian descent.
Asked about possible difficulties that refugees will find in their new home, Afanasiev points to socialization. “I’m afraid they’ll stay in the cocoon and have difficulty socializing, but I don’t think that should happen, because Minas Gerais is very receptive,” he said.
